Stole the Show
by TheInkMachine
Summary: "What would happen if I was in One Piece? ...What if my sanity was also governed by poor luck? Why, I'd change the world of course!" -Maniac(noun) 1) a raving or violently insane person; lunatic. 2) any overly zealous or enthusiastic person. "Oh, there's an entry in the dictionary just for me!" Male!Self-insert with a healthy dose of mental instability. Eventual hints of M/M.
1. Chapter 1 - Pilot

**Chapter 1**

I blinked my eyes open slowly, my vision blurry and my thoughts quelled by drowsiness.

I let out a noise of discontent, slowly rolling to my side and pulling the covers closer to block out the chilly air that seemed to be constantly drifting around my living room.

My brother's cat shifted beside me, letting out a soft trill of curiosity at my movement.

I reached for the waistband of my pajamas, lacking pockets to my annoyance, and I winced at the brightness of my phone screen.

It took a few sluggish taps of my thumb to pause Nagashi by Idealism, that until then had been blaring over the earbuds which had fallen out sometime during my tossing and turning.

Squinting at the screen reading 4:56 AM I allowed myself a half sleepy, half resigned sigh, tucking further into the warmth of the couch.

Instantly, I knew I would not be sleeping anymore judging by the thoughts already buzzing to life in my head.

"It's too early for this…"

I complained to the cat sleepily as I stroked her back, her steady breathing somewhat calming my annoyance.

It was nearly 5 in the morning, my dad and brother had probably just left for work judging by the empty spots on the two couches, I was tired out of my mind, and my stupid insomnia- that had kept me awake until past midnight- decided to strike again.

My problems decided they didn't care if I had to leave for work in only a couple of hours.

It brought the question to my exhaustion-plagued mind; what had woken me up?

My gaze was drawn to the moonlight shining through the spaces in the decorative curtains covering the windows, gently illuminating the blue carpet.

 _It must be full and especially bright tonight,_

I thought distractedly.

After a few moments of thought processing, I felt my brows furrow, coming to a puzzling realization.

The moon should not be visible from the windows since a cluster of ancient elm trees always blocked the view from that side of the house with their dense skeletal branches and dead clusters of leaves.

"What the…?"

I murmured in astonishment, forgetting my sleepiness and shoving aside my covers.

Being careful not to disturb the cat I climbed out of my blanket nest that dominated half of a couch, shivering as the chilly air touched my sleep-warm skin through my pajamas.

I glanced back briefly as the cat jumped down behind me and followed in my footsteps, letting out an absent-minded little trill when I looked down at her.

"Stupid cat…"

I muttered affectionately as I reached down to pick her up and continued towards the window, gently brushing aside the curtains.

Blindingly bright lights flared and I instantly hissed in surprise, shutting my eyes tightly and shielding them with my free arm while the light flashed brighter, and the cat gave a scared yowl.

The buzz of a whispering voice reached my ears; drowned out by screams- I think they are mine? - As pain racked my body.

Moments later a blessed numbness washed over me, washing away the burning pain, and I collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.

I was dead to the world even before the fear could process.

* * *

The first thing I felt when I woke up was a dull ache in every limb and joint in my body, protesting my movements in a harmony of pain as I slowly stirred.

Hesitantly I blinked my eyes open, and I found myself squinting through the soft glow of a torch.

I let out a small groan and shifted, frowning when I only felt cold, hard cobblestone floor.

 _Wait… The light that I saw…_

The memory of my living room flooded my head, and in a jolt of sudden energy, I jerked into a sitting position, my eyes wide and medium-short cobalt blue hair falling in a messy rat's nest that just barely brushed the tops of my shoulders.

Blinking away the fuzziness I blanched, my mind stalling.

My sight was overwhelmed by a fully detailed and professional anime drawing of a dark dungeon-like cell.

As terrible as I usually am while waking up in the mornings, I was not slow enough to miss something this drastic.

Slowly, I turned a full 360 to look, but no matter where my gaze went or how much my neck ached from turning my head rapidly, everything I saw was animated.

I blinked once.

 _It's very… 3D-like… And realistic..._

I blinked twice.

 _It did not disappear into a bad dream._  
 _Oookay..._

Deep Breath.

 _It's… Real…?_

I bit my lip to the point of drawing blood while my brain struggled to process the new flood of information, my expression stuck in a full-out blanch while the impending freak-out approached.

 _I have to clue where I am._

 _I don't know how I got here._

 _I have no idea where my family, house, and animals are._

 _I am so screwed._

 _Did I mention that I am surrounded by an **animated prison cell?!**_

I gnashed my teeth together, fighting off the threat of all-consuming panic.

 _Calm, breathe._

 _Okay. Let's look at the situation again- calm and in control._

I took another deep, slow breath and looked closer at the details of my surroundings.

My bare feet looked like that of an anime character, as did my clothes; in a state of awed bafflement, I raised my hands in front of my face.

They were perfectly-proportioned, slender, unmarred, and ridiculously perfect anime hands with cascades of lines for shadows.

None of the short-bitten fingernails or hangnails, not even the small but permanent scars from who knows where that accumulate over the years.

Looking up from my eerily flawless hands I found myself slowly coming to terms with reality, sitting on a concrete floor, surrounded by dimly-illuminated cobblestone and strangely-textured bars.

As I slowly pushed back the shock, I realized that I was still wearing my pajamas- a decoratively neon green-splattered black hoodie with the brand 'Stitchgrave' written across the lower back in neon green, paired with tan sporty shorts.

I spotted my outdated smartphone a foot or two away, and with a slightly trembling hand I reached out and picked it up.

The little white phone, screen, buttons and all, looked as equally anime-like as my hands and feet.

 _I am really, really not feeling up to dealing with this._

"Why does shit like this happen to me, out of the billions of people on earth…"

I growled while I tucked it into the waistband of my pants, a soft thud resounded ominously throughout my cell.

My throat closing in the panic I scrambled to my feet, whipping my head wildly in all directions as I gritted my teeth, I glanced down and I saw the source of the muffled thud; a small apple-shaped fruit lying on the ground next to my feet.

I hesitantly bent down to observe it, instantly weirded out by the strange pearl-like appearance of its skin, dove-white and shiny to boot.

I reached out and picked it up, frowning at the soft, smooth texture in the palm of my hand.

 _'Eat me.'_

"What the hell!"

I jumped, yelping in surprise at the whisper, I dropped the fruit on instinct and stumbled backward.

Hissing in pain at the sharp gravel that dug into my bare foot, I clumsily fell on my haunches, arms flailing for balance.

A quiet sigh sounded in my head, but it was almost drowned out by the wild thumping of my heart, pounding so hard my chest was starting to hurt.

"What...? Who...?"

 _'I said eat me; and don't drop me this time, you bumbling fool.'_

My jaw dropped open for a moment as a completely absurd thought popped into my head, and my eyes widened even more if that was possible.

"Y-you're the fruit?"

I mumbled out the question in response to the voice, and I hurriedly picked the rock out of my foot.

Cautiously, I rose into a crouch and shuffled, step by wary step, towards the innocent looking pearl-apple.

 _'Technically, in this world, I am called a Devil fruit.'_

I froze mid-shuffle, my heart skipping a beat as the words clicked.

"A _Devil fruit?_ "

My voice became very quiet while I struggled to maintain whatever dignity and composure I had left, pausing to give my overheated brain time to think and process.

I took another deep breath, going through the binary code in my head while trying to ignore the ache and frantic fluttering of my heart.

When I felt I had my cool back, I spoke.

"In this world? Tell me where the hell I am, and why 'Devil fruit' sounds so familiar."

I felt almost proud that had no tremors in my speech as I demanded the voice to give me answers.

 _'I can't tell you anything else, dear boy, until you eat me and find out for yourself.'_

I wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to think of this new situation as my fingers curled around its smooth skin, and the words set in.

I narrowed my eyes, mentally forcing myself to ignore the panic I knew was trying to break free from under the tight restraint of my control, and I attempted to process the tornado of mass thought clutter in my head.

All while, of course, keeping the fruit as far away from my face as my reach would allow

 _Sue me; I'm still suspicious of it._

 _I need solid proof of where the hell I am, because if my suspicion is correct, being dumped into my favorite anime isn't really on the list of things allowed by the laws of reality…_

I thought firmly to myself.

 _I need answers._

"If I eat you,"

I began slowly, glaring at the innocent pearl-apple.

"Do you give me your word that you will answer my questions to the best of your ability?"

Nothing to lose but the contents of my stomach- in the extreme case, my life too perhaps, but...

 _'Whatever, kid. I give you my word.'_

Some small, manic, and obviously insane part of my mind was in awe of the idea that I am in an anime, whether it was a dream or not.

With a determined nod, I brought the pearl-apple to my mouth and scarfed it down as fast as physically possible.

Then, the taste registered.

" **UGH**!"

I gagged, my face contorted in disgust as I attempted to keep the contents of my stomach where they belong.

"You taste god-awful!"

I snarled aloud, but the voice was silent.

I grimaced in worry, ignoring how it felt like I was pumping ice through my veins and the sudden drained feeling.

"Hey, are you still there, devil fruit?"

 _'Yes.'_

 _Good, it didn't leave,_

I thought with a sigh of relief, warily glancing at the bars again- which I promptly realized was seastone, which was why it was textured so funny.

 _'Of course I didn't leave. I gave my word, didn't I?'_

I smirked as a small spark of excitement mixed with my uneasiness.

 _So you can hear my thoughts. Let's begin, then- you say you're a Devil fruit, and that means that I am in One Piece as far as I know. Am I correct?_

The voice seemed amused, and my smirk deepened at its answer, and the prickly feeling in my veins slowly subsided.

 _'Yes,'_

 _Very good. Now, how did I get here? Where am I?_

I cautiously approached the seastone bars, testing the lock, but it was firmly in place and refused to rattle when I pitted my weight against it; although, the lethargic effect was very alarming.

 _'We were transported here by someone I call the Entity; you in your form, and me as the Angel Angel devil fruit.'_

I paused in astonishment, mouth open to speak, but the voice bulldozed over it.

 _'Look, kid, the Entity only gave me so much time to talk, so I think it's time for a proper introduction,'_

The voice began, but the edge of dark amusement had me pausing in slowly dawning trepidation.

I suddenly got the feeling that I may not like the answers.

 _'Welcome to Impel Down of the universe One Piece; specifically, the experimental Research Wing. You were brought here after you practically fell on top of them in a flash of light, and in a tragic turn of your luck, they decided to test out their brand new facility on you.'_

"W-wait, I'm in _Impel Down?!_ Who's the Entity, and why did it put me here?!"

The voice laughed quietly in my head, ignoring my panic entirely.

 _'That's something I can't tell you, kid. You ate the Angel Angel fruit; I recommend meditating, figure out your powers a bit; it'll help in the long run. My time's up, though- best of luck, kid.'_

"H-hey, don't just up and leave!"

I snapped, but I was answered with silence.

Agitated, I took a seat on the ground, eyeing a foul-smelling bucket across the room and a pot next to me with suspiciously cloudy water.

"I'm not a kid. I'm sixteen."

I muttered sullenly at the silence of the cell.

"Asshole could have at least told me before I ate a devil fruit that I was surrounded by seastone…"

I growled spitefully, but the voice seems to have left me alone, surrounded by darkness and cobblestone.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Holy Plane

**Chapter 2**

Even before I opened my eyes, I knew that today will be the worst day of my life.

That little niggling, instinctive part of my mind told me this as I listened to the silence.

The instinctive knowledge did nothing to make me want to open my eyes; so, I remained in the safe embrace sleep.

Thus said, I was hazy with sleep and confused when I felt warmth surrounding me, and I put an effort into resisting the sunlight gently coaxing me awake by shining on my face.

 _It must have rained today; the air smells damp and earthy. Wait, why does my bed feel so funny? It's almost ticklish…_

I jolted awake with a sneeze as my supposed 'bedding' tickled my nose, and I blinked groggily at an anime-drawn unending mass of _green_ so large it met the wide-open sky, lit up with a surreal array of oranges, golds, pinks, blues, and indigos of a sunset.

Leaves softly rustled around me in a gentle and warm breeze, and that's when my eyes flew wide in wonder and shock.

I was sleeping on a somehow solid but soft mass of animated leaves, the unbroken and unending canopy of a jungle.

"Finally, you're awake!"

The familiar voice, filled with annoyance, surprised the living daylights out of me as I whipped my head around, and caught sight of an anime guy about two years older than me, his face clean of any facial hair and skin flawless and pale as my own.

He was wearing black coat styled like Ezio from Assassins Creed, slightly folded out and opened in the front that reached just below his knees, with four gold buttons neatly lined up below his collar.

He wore black dress pants, polished black shoes, and dark storm-grey dress gloves that ended somewhere under the cuffs of his coat.

He wore a black top hat over that with a gold ribbon wrapped around the base, held by a black skull-and-wings pin.

His face was smooth and rounded; drawn neater than One Piece's usual style, his hair is dark silver and about the same length as mine; overall, he looked somewhat identical to Kirito from Sword Art Online.

His eyes were the last thing to catch my attention.

They were narrowed with annoyance, I was able to tell that much, but that were all shades of silver and grey blended in a perfect maelstrom.

It was that second that the voice clicked in my head.

"… You're supposed to be an angel?"

I deadpanned, entirely unimpressed.

Irritation spread across his expression, and he crossed his arms with an exasperated sigh.

"I never said I was an angel, I said I was the Angel Angel fruit."

He snapped waspishly.

"I'm not supposed to be here, but someone has to look out for your sorry ass."

I frowned as memories from the previous day flooded my head, and if nothing else, I remember now why I thought today would be a bad day.

Dread crashed over me like a ten-ton tidal wave, and in the far distance of my inner world, the leaves began wilting.

"I woke up earlier… They took me to a torture chamber, didn't they?"

His grimace was all the answer I needed.

Clouds blocked the sunset, the edges illuminated by a sickly orange.

"Stop getting all upset,"

He muttered, grimace deepening.

"You're making the trees weep."

I blinked away the memories of the chibi pink devil-penguin torture girl… What was her name again…? And I took a deep breath.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

I huffed, trying not to think about the phantom feel of needle pricks and the bite of a bladed whip.

"Look, kid,"

The man said, a tic developing in his brow.

"Kudos on finding this place, usually it takes newbies a while to figure out their devil fruits. This is one of the powers that you have to use responsibly, be a good example and all that. Small note of advice, just don't be stupid and you won't ruin it."

I got to my feet, smirking a little at the fact that I was a few inches taller than the man, and I matched his crossed-arms posture.

"That's fine and all, but I thought seastone negated those kinds of things? Where are we, anyways?"

The man snorted, rubbing his face with a hand out of irritation.

"That question's getting old, idiot. Seastone won't affect this power because it's the Holy Plane of Existence- exclusive to Angel Angel fruit users. It's supposed to be a medium for your Devil fruit, help guide you, and deliver judgment on your friends and enemies… I think. That's for you to figure out."

Before I could fully process the mischievous smirk on his face and pull away, he had already reached his hand up and patted my head twice.

"Hey!"

I squawked in protest, smacking his hand away, but I missed when my vision blurred at the edges, and I felt a pulling sensation while his smug face tilted up at me.

"Looks like you're needed elsewhere, kid. I'll come back to make sure you don't choke to death on stale bread or something equally as befitting of your intelligence."

I yelled silently at his laughing face before I was sucked away, ignoring the fact that the tugging rendered me temporarily mute.

I absolutely hated when my older brother would pat my head like that, and he used to do it all the time.

An odd pang of comfort came from the gesture, however, and I decided that the jerk had a good sucker punch coming his way the next time I saw him, knock the jackass down a peg or two.

* * *

I found it ironic that every time I became conscious, I somehow managed to wake up disoriented and in a strange location.

 _No wonder I have insomnia._

However, this wake-up call was far less pleasant than the Holy Plane as pain lanced through my abdomen with a vengeance; no doubt, a token from my earlier torture session.

I doubled over with a muffled _'Oomph!'_ of pain, and I found myself stopped short with the sound of rattling metal.

It took a few seconds before I realized that my hands were bound behind my back, chaining me to the floor.

I looked around me, trying to get my bearings and ignore the overwhelming pain.

 _Damn, my luck is utter crap and my mental state is even worse._

I brushed these thoughts aside, and a pair of spiky pink kid boots stepped into my field of view.

I raised my eyes until I reached its face, which wasn't far above me.

 _Oh, shit. I am so screwed._

Sadi-chan- who was just a goddamn _kid_ , was standing above me looking in all her glory like a demented pink penguin.

Probably because she hadn't grown into her devil stripper suit yet.

I actually curled my lip in thinly veiled disgust as I glared vehemently up at her.

"Ah. Finally awake, I see!"

Her cutsie voice was the equivalent of taking a cheese grater to my brain and sawing away.

"No shit."

I growled out, my voice hoarse, I winced when movement ignited a pain in my chest.

I'm no doctor, but I've had broken ribs before.

"What a lively little thing you are, I wonder how far that'll get you in the labs. Your screams were so _pure_..."

I glared at her with every bit of hatred I could muster, thoroughly creeped out when she tongued over her lips.

Seeing a kid do that is _weird_.

"You're a sick freak."

I rasped.

"I wonder how many people will smile when I kill you."

Her shoulders tensed and I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.

I didn't have the breath to release a scream of pain as something smacked into my injured ribs.

 _Hard_.

A strangled half yelp half pained squeak escaped me while I bit down on my tongue, and warm blood gushed into my mouth.

The sticky fluid dribbled down my chin as the pain overrode my senses.

"You would do well to remember your place, Subject 0012! It's a shame those scientists wanted you, or I would get so many delicious screams from you... Subjects 0001-0011 did not survive, but I'm sure they'll let me play with their toy eventually…"

My eyes went impossibly wide as the butt end of her child sized whip met my spine, and my vision darkened.

"… I'll make you scream how cute I am while you're writhing in pain!"

The broken ribs were like knives digging into my lungs, burning pain forcing blood into my mouth, and in result, I bit down harder on my tongue.

 _I can't show weakness._

Apparently, the child torturer took my silence for compliance, and she giggled quietly to herself while the doctor continued to drone on about test subjects and experiments regarding some kind of new drug being tested, but let me tell you; if my glare were embodied, the scientist would be a puddle of fleshy slag on the floor.

The doctor suddenly moved with blinding speed, and I felt a burning sensation in my neck as all I could do was freeze stock-still.

He just used a _needle_ on me.

As he pulled it out I started thrashing, screaming bloody murder as fiery pain rushed through my veins.

Pain, pain, pain.

 _Why did it always have to be so much pain?_

Rage, helplessness, fear, uncertainty, desperation, and so many more emotions came with the intolerable agony while I choked up a puddle of _black blood_.

The chains binding me clinked as I collapsed, writhing on the cold floor.

Through blurred vision I saw the doctor say something to the blushing torturer, but I could not move and everything was muted- if only I didn't have to feel and see everything.

Two guys entered the room when they turned to leave.

Was that an actual giant, yellow _koala_?

 _What drugs did they give me?_

They unlocked the chains, and if I could I would have cried out from the pain as they roughly grabbed my arms and hauled me up.

My head lolled limply as I was dragged down a case of stairs, and down a hallway.

In the corner of my eyes, I could see the seastone bars of cell doors, and the silhouettes within that would occasionally give a feeble movement while I was mercilessly dragged past them to an open cell.

Stars danced at the edges of my vision as I was thrown to the floor.

The door was closed and locked, still oddly muted as all I could do was lay there and try to deal with the agony in silence.

* * *

It's been a while since the funny little concoction was injected into my system.

My life has taken some… _Interesting_ twists.

I frowned at this thought as I shifted into a battle stance, bare feet stinging on the sand of the cage floor.

" _Subject 0012 and 5268, prepare to engage."_

A voice stated calmly over a hidden den den mushi as I allowed me private thoughts to run free.

Yeah, that drug that the doctor gave me after rambling on about it?

It didn't seem to do anything really, at first, and they were excited for their first experiment to survive.

They had spent the first few days, dragging me screaming and kicking from my cell, strapping me down to a table and analyzing the drug's effects.

Apparently, since I had a devil fruit that made me physically way above average, nothing had really changed, and their disappointment was made clear by… Other means of pain; namely, they let Sadi have "play-dates" with me.

And then, one day I began to mutate.

" _Subject 5268, initiate attack sequence 28B. Subject 0012, do not approach or engage Subject 5268."_

Absently I jumped as the voice came over the den den mushi again; narrowly dodging some sort of acid-spit devil fruit.

In complete apathy, I returned to my train of thoughts.

I'm not entirely sure when the mutations began, all I knew was that somewhere in the days left alone in the darkness of my cell, my eyes had turned completely black; sclera, iris and all.

I got stuck with many, many needles after that.

So time flew by, I was tortured almost daily, locked in a cage to fight other Subjects, and I became their number one favorite experiment to poke and prod.

Aside from the first injection, I did not react to any of the other serums.

After the longest time of pain and darkness, they had reached their limit and they decided to dissect me- only to find that they couldn't.

No matter how much they cut me in my regular sessions of torture, pure black slime covered my skin in the place of blood and healed me in a process I could only call instant regeneration.

I remember the tubes that got shoved down my throat for that.

Why did I take it lying down, you ask?

I did not.

I attempted to escape a few times; each time I was caught, and what followed was easily the worst pain I've experienced _ever._

It got so bad that I prayed for an escape in death, but over and over I healed and regenerated as Sadi ripped me apart limb by limb.

That kid is a vicious psycho.

Back to the present, I ran away from a few more gobs of spit launched at me in quick succession and ducked behind a boulder.

After a moment of quiet, I sprinted towards a larger boulder for a better vantage point, but I was caught dead when the Subject leapt in my pathway.

I hissed in anger as I was hit by a potent acidic saliva and I whipped around, rage boiling in my blood at the sight of the other subject, I lunged and proceeded to rip, tear, and destroy.

It wasn't until the den den mushi guy failed to reach me and the Marines had to go in and take me back to my forsaken cell.

I let myself be dragged, snarling inhumanly like a seething beast, unable to take my malice out on them under the threat of Sadi.

Spending long enough imprisoned in a dark hole, starved, tortured, and then thrown into a cage to fight to the death really teaches you to end fights quickly and brutally by whatever means possible; even if they send Sadi after me for killing their precious subjects.

There is no room for hesitation, sympathy, or mourning.

Things such as mercy, fair play, and honor do not exist.

I lurched forward into my open cell, thrown in carelessly by the two Marine dogs.

Out of all their Subjects, I had been down in the labs the longest, by far.

All the other experiments were dead, I was apparently a freak survivor... A failure to boot.

Subject 0104 and onwards survived only the first experimentation, but they too were imperfect and most of them were unable to handle their mutations and they eventually died off or turned into nightmarishly twisted beasts, devil fruit or not.

The ones that didn't die and became cringe-worthy monsters, those were the ones that they had me kill off in the arena- the demented _inhuman_ things were vicious and maddened by agony and starvation.

So they used me to study new fighting styles, and I also effectively got rid of their failed Subjects.

Subject 5268 with the acid spit was the most human-like experiment that I've seen in a long time.

Oh, yeah… Long time?

I don't really know how long I've been here, but I don't look like I aged a day since I got here.

The only sense of time I get is that my blue-dyed hair faded out and my naturally blond hair had grown from my ears to the crooks of my knees.

So I took the severed hand of a Subject with mutated claws and used that to cut it off.

Eventually, it reached my knees again after who knows how long- that time, I didn't cut it until it was too late and another Subject ripped it off my scalp; it took a while to grow back.

I've grown and cut my hair 3 times since the start, and right now my hair was currently about mid-back length, draping over the back of my ragged green and black hoodie, long and still healthy, if a little greasy and colored blackish by dirt

I curled my lip at the smell of chemicals, blood, and rot in my cell as I huddled up in my customary corner, staring blankly at my phone.

It was long dead and the tiny glass screen was cracked, but it had provided me with comfort on the worst of nights when my body was broken and bleeding from torture before my mutation was developed enough to heal me.

Outside of the Holy Plane, I hadn't actually spoken a word aloud in years if my perception of time was accurate at all- I had no reason to speak and screaming only encouraged pain.

When something went wrong, even if I could heal fast, I still felt the pain they inflicted.

I found it ironic that even my scars healed, leaving no trace of the horrors I've endured.

I received stale bread and cleaner water when I did 'good' and allowed them to inject me with another experimental serum.

None of them took effect after the first chemical that mutated me, but that did not stop them and even _thinking_ about the needles…

I swallowed hard at the lump in my throat, closing my eyes and forcing back my rage and panic.

Attempting to take deep breaths, and go over binary numbers, I felt the very familiar tug.

I went to the Holy Plane much more effortlessly after the hundreds of times I've been there- and I opened my eyes.

The original jungle canopy had changed over the years.

The lush leaves I once napped on was now a sickly yellow, and the faint smell of rot permeated the air.

The once beautiful sunset gave way to an eternal starless night, and a crumbling tower covered in dead creeping vines now rose up out of the dying world.

The Kirito-like man that occasionally visited under the instruction of the 'Entity', he said it was dying because the trees were mourning.

He didn't make much sense that day- not that he usually does.

Clenching my jaw and forcing my body into auto pilot I walked to the half-fallen tower, stepping through an open window archway, and slowly ascending the stone steps.

I came to a halt as the bottom of the tower met with a fallen jungle tree, and stepped out the window onto a wooden perch.

The giant tree trunks, below the majestic canopy, were shrouded in darkness, connected by simple wooden-slatted rope bridges lit by tiny little drops of light that seemed to suffocate in the darkness.

Blocked by the thick canopy above no light shone down here- not that there was any sun to cast light anyways- making me shiver as I continued down the walkway.

This place was almost as creepy as it was lonely, and I still had no idea what it had to do with angels.

Disgruntled by that thought I pressed on until I saw a vague silhouette sitting on a wooden platform, leaning against the trunk of a tree.

"Kirito Clone,"

I greeted, the feeling of speaking foreign and yet my voice was smooth, just as I remembered it.

I saw him more clearly as I got closer, illuminated weakly by a little drop of light, his storming grey eyes fixed on me and a sarcastic sneer crossed his expression.

"Brat."

He greeted me flatly.

I settled next to him on the bench, watching the wisp-like lights floating above the bridges.

The companionable silence between us was comfortable if slightly pressing, but it was far from awkward.

He had been there the first time I killed somebody, the first time I mutated, the moment the Holy Plane began to wither and die…

The list went on for a while, but through acidic comments and a developing sense of sarcastic humor he helped keep me grounded, kept me from going insane and devouring myself when they "forgot" to feed me and starvation provoked my already festering madness.

Ah, good times.

Through our trials I learned that, in a few ways, he reminded me of my brother.

My brother was the one I missed most from my old life; we'd always be there for each other, and we'd always have each others' back; no questions asked.

But, somehow, with Kirito Ripoff by my side when he visited, it was almost as good as having my brother there.

A few rotted black leaves drifted down around us, and he raised an eyebrow at me, ready to give me the same spiel about making the trees sad.

I heaved a deep sigh.

"I don't want to hear about the crying trees, whatever that means. I'm fine."

I muttered in annoyance, crossing my arms.

He let out a noncommital grunt, getting to his feet

"Whatever you say, Dimples. Hurry along now, don't want to piss off your babysitters,"

He quipped, stretching.

I snorted derisively, sighing as I returned to reality.

I leaped to my feet with a start, phone hidden in the pocket of my hoodie as two footsteps and the sounds of dragging came closer.

I saw the silhouette of one of the Marines at my cell door, and I gave an inhuman snarl as I glared at the shadows where his face is with every bit of malice I could muster.

"Here you go, Subject 0012. Do what you want with it."

Their monotone voice came out, and my eyes widened just a fraction as I saw the other Marine dragging a bloody lump by the shoulder, and tossed it to my cell floor.

So transfixed by this, I didn't rage after them at the cell door like a rabid beast, and simply stared down at the sorry sap they tossed in with me.

Another cruel joke of 'eat the dead Subject'?

But no, I saw its chest rise and fall steadily with every breath.

It was alive.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Voices in my Head

**Naruto Uzumaki Potter - Your review made my day! Unfortunately, it's not quite Ace, Crocodile, or any of the obvious victims, but you'll see where the timeline is next chapter, hopefully! Thanks for keeping my spirits up!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

 _What is this?_

Narrowing my eyes I grudgingly allowed a moment of curiosity, and I began to approach this… Thing.

Who, come to think of it, had features a lot like Ren from RWBY.

So far it looked human, a boy about the age I was when I first came here

He had black hair tied in a low ponytail, and the top of his kimono was shredded and fell around the obi sash at his waist.

I could see his every rib and his skin was as pale as mine; albeit marred by a rather large and furrowed half-moon shaped scar leading from his left shoulder, curving across his chest and belly, and then ending back at his left hip.

From where I was, I knew that I'd have to get closer to see where he bled from; and so, slowly and cautiously I approached, gently reaching out and prodding the new Subject's shoulder, ready to fight or flee at a split second's notice.

He didn't move, but an up-close look in the low torch light allowed me to see him bleeding from a deep gash on his right thigh and a jagged slice on his right side where his neck met his shoulder.

When the Subject did not wake up, I crouched by his side and turned his right wrist until the inside was facing me.

The tattoo _6183_ was inked across the delicate skin in bold letters, and I frowned deeply.

 _Do t_ _hey already have over 6,000 other Subjects?_

I felt a sickened rage build within me, and I frowned heavily while I tried to suppress the urge to kill; against a facility armed with seastone and more Marine forces than I could shake a stick at...

The chances are abysmal, and I shivered bodily at the memory of Sadi-chan's loving touch at my last escape attempt.

However, I couldn't help but feel some amount of pity for the young man they tossed in with me in hopes that I'd tear him apart.

 _I can heal him for now. If he attacks me I'll kill him, if not then I'll see what happens. Even if I'm sleeping I can sense his intent to kill before he even thinks about pulling something._

I decided, bringing my palm to my lips and baring my sharper-than-normal teeth, I remained silent and stoic as black, slimy ichor oozed from the rapidly closing wound.

Moving quickly, I smeared the black slime over the strange boy's wounds and sat back to watch.

Muscle and skin began to knit together and close up, healing into jagged red scars and then disappearing altogether.

I leaned back against the wall with another sigh.

 _There's nothing to do but wait until he wakes up, and I don't want to go to the Holy Plane with a variable lying around, even if I can react in time._

I raised my eyebrow as I heard a sinister chuckle from inside my head, but Budget Kirito didn't elaborate; instead, I followed his subtle impressions and let him guide my gaze over to the pot of semi-clean drinking water.

 _Or ... I suppose I can wake him up now._

Face in a deadpan while the Angel Angel Devil fruit let his amusement known, I stalked up to a pot of semi-clean drinking water, and when I stood above the Subject with the pot in hand, I couldn't help but feel somewhat childish; something I hadn't felt in a long time.

I decided I liked being childish.

 _Here goes._

I tossed half of the water on the boy's face, and quickly let the pot drop with a loud clatter and a noisy slosh as he jerked up and awake with a wordless yell of shock and fear, his back towards me.

I stood frozen still and silent like a statue as he looked wildly all around him, fingers hovering over where the wound was on his neck, when he seemed to sense me.

He froze, and I had only a split second to quell the urge to tense when he whipped around, his pale red eyes- the same color as the inside of a strawberry- widening as they met my pitch-black ones.

I couldn't help but blink apathetically as he scrambled backward over the floor until he bumped into the wall, breathing hard and ragged and eyes wide as saucers.

 _I don't think he's going to attack any time soon…_

Slowly, deliberately, I held my hands out in a gesture of peace.

Let it be said that I wasn't naive; I was ready to attack or defend at any time bare-handed if need be.

I'd been fooled before; but being patient and peaceful was key.

The boy swallowed deeply and let out a calming breath, head thumping back on the rocks that made up my prison.

His glazed pale red eyes fixed on me as I let my hands down, being sure to keep them within his line of view.

He frowned, but he otherwise didn't react much to my deathly silence as he wiped droplets of water from his face and out of his raven hair with hesitant movements, processing the situation he found himself in.

The moment stretched on as the boy calmed his frantic breathing, and silence- except for his slight shifting- enveloped us both.

Calm and cool, I watched as the Subject gave himself a once over, and I saw surprise slowly dawn on his face.

"My wounds…?"

The first time he spoke, I noted that he had a very quiet, very deep voice almost enthralling to listen to.

At that moment he was looking at me again in question this time, and his quietly-spoken words suddenly seemed deafening in comparison to the fragile silence.

I gave the tiniest of nods, and he got this strange grateful expression on his face.

"Thank you,"

He sighed after a while, and I held his gaze evenly, lip quirking in a sad mockery of a smile.

His sharp pale red eyes did not miss my reaction, but he decided to keep trying the clipped one-sided conversation anyways.

"Who are you?"

I paused in surprise at his tentative but genuinely curious question, grimacing slightly at his expectant expression, unwilling to speak even if I still possessed the ability to do so; in reply I held out my right wrist, exposing the boldly-lettered 0012.

His eyes widened when he beheld my Subject ID number.

"Y-you're the Berserker…"

I raised an eyebrow at his gaping, waiting patiently while 6183 collected himself, the cell fell into silence once more- albeit a slightly less tense one.

I closed my pure black eyes as we remained at somewhat of a stalemate, not quite trusting each other but allowing ourselves acknowledge the other.

 _ **-Hey!-**_

At the drop of a hat I went rigid, eyes fully wide and the breath caught in my throat.

 _No… Not again!_

I leaped to my feet, startling 6183.

 _The voices are back!_

 _ **-Are you awake?-**_

"No, no, no, no… No… No…"

The word wasn't audible in my panicked mumbling as I scrambled backward, muttering over and over again, disrupted by a deranged choked-sounding laugh.

"… Twelve?"

The other subject called in alarm when gravity seemed to intensify and I fell, hands scraping against the stone and leaving smudges of black slime, I skittered further back into the wall opposite of 6183 and the cell door.

 _ **-I see you! You wanna play with me?-**_

"Twelve, what's going on?!"

There was panic in the other Subject's voice as he slowly stood up, eyeing me warily, body tensed like a coil.

A flash of bright red light assaulted my head, bringing with it a pain so sharp I let out a wordless scream, curling up in a miserable ball and clutching my matted, tangled blond hair in my fingers.

I rocked back and forth, hoping for anything to ground me to the real world.

 _ **-WaNnA tAkE a TrIp DoWn MeMoRy LaNe WiTh Me?-**_

I lost my grip on reality, oblivious to 6183's increasingly worried and desperate calls.

* * *

" _Beau? Beau, wake up!"_

 _I opened my eyes groggily to find myself… In my room?_

 _My panic was oddly muted, and everything shone as if touched by the full spectrum of light, like someone trying too hard to replicate a real place._

 _I'm lying in a bed that I hadn't touched in years, my brother's cat climbing over me trying to lick my face, light filtering past my curtains and into my eyes._

 _Even with how long it's been since I've seen natural light, strangely it didn't hurt._

 _I looked towards the voice that called my name, and my breathing hitched from the tidal wave of powerful emotions crashing down on me._

 _My brother stood in the doorway, wearing jeans and a loud yellow shirt, the achingly familiar awkward hunch in his shoulders and his black hair scruffy and in need of a haircut- just as I remember him._

 _His brown eyes, though, were really… Sad?_

" _Bastian?"_

 _I breathed his name, pulling the cat into my arms._

 _His sad, pained eyes belied the strange smile on his face._

" _Dad's about to start the next episode of One Piece in two minutes, Luffy's fight with Doflamingo is about to begin."_

 _I stared in shock, unable to form the words I wished I could speak, stuck in a heartbeat that had become an eternity_

 _I missed Bastian… I missed him so much that it hurt._

" _Yeah, I'll…"_

 _I swallowed after a long moment of meeting his sad, lonely eyes, a watery smile finding its way to my face as tears filled my eyes._

 _Not even the strange mute on my emotions could hold them back from spilling over my cheeks._

" _I'll be there in a minute…"_

 _Bastian's smile slowly fell away, leaving an agonized expression I could barely see through my tears, and next thing I know he's gone and my bedroom slowly faded away into black._

 _I remember that morning, long ago, but I've never in my life seen him so sorrowful._

" _ **REMEMBER?"**_

* * *

I jerked back to reality shaking from head to toe; judging by my stiff and sore muscles I'd been like that, rocking myself on the floor for hours.

Based on the fact that I didn't wake up in a lab, it was one of those days where they would have left me alone in my cell, let my madness fester and conduct my own psychological torture.

I was still curled with my knees to my chest, and my rocking came to a sudden stop as, slowly, the voices released their hold on me.

 _ **-That was Fun! Come play with me some other time…-**_

I removed my hands from my head, eyes wild as I resisted the urge to scream after the voice to leave me alone.

"You're back."

I flinched, curling into a defensive fighting stance when I saw 6183 standing a few feet away, concern in his eyes.

I backed away and bared my teeth in an inhumanly gutteral snarl on pure instinct when he took a step forward, and he stopped when he saw my reaction.

His eyes were confused, concerned, and wary all at once as realization colored his expression.

"Where did you go?"

I remained curled up and silent as I tried to calm my shaking hands and frantic heartbeat.

The voice in my head, a harbinger of my less-than-stellar state of mind…

It was getting steadily worse, and there is nothing I can do about it.

* * *

I sat cross-legged in my corner, sitting next to 6183- whom I have dubbed as Ren.

It had been a while since he was first tossed into my cell, and he learned pretty quickly that I would not kill him in his sleep, and vice versa.

Actually, it was nice to hear another voice for once- it drowned out _that_ voice in my head; since my new companion has been around, I haven't had the new and improved 'episodes' involving _that_ voice for a while.

What seemed to be the first week, though, Ren was taken into testing.

He had come back with needle pricks and surgical wounds, and I healed him every time he came back; allowing him to use my shoulder as a pillow while he recovered and I entered the Holy Plane to seek advice from Generic Kirito.

During what I assumed was the second week since we met, I was thrown into a fight with three other Subjects at the same time.

When I stumbled back into my cell, coated in black ichor and half dead, to say that Ren was worried sick would be a massive understatement.

Roughly a month after this, I learned that Ren was quite adept at Armament Haki.

Seeing my interest, he began the patient process of teaching me; after a few more fights with particularly difficult subjects, I had the concept down fairly well.

A week or two after that, however, I was drugged out of my mind and while I was too sick to fight back let alone help Ren, whom was being held down and beaten, I was dragged from my cell and tortured by Teenage Sadi-chan.

Man, do they grow up quick.

Ren told me quietly a few days after the incident that the Marines returned me to the cell unconscious, and that when I came to, I was 'lights were out and no one was home' screaming bloody murder and laughing my head off in turn for hours on end.

He said he finally managed to calm me down enough to 'wake up', and I haven't eaten, slept, spoke, or even _moved_ since- I held him like a final lifeline in my little corner and listened to his soothing voice.

During that time, my Nakama- because he will never be anything else to me now- had begun to start up one-sided conversations with me to ease the silence.

"… I had a family once you know, Stitchgrave."

I paused, idly thinking back to the day he saw the font on the back of my hoodie, paying half attention to his words.

"I don't remember much because I was taken a few years back, but I remember their faces."

I lifted my head from its place on his shoulder, my attention piqued after the statement returned me from my thoughts, my eyes flickering up to his faintly smiling face.

Ren took notice, glancing at me from the corner of his eyes.

"Yep. I had a mother, a strong little brother, and a cute baby sister. I remember that my father was a Pirate and out at sea often, so I never got to see him much."

His slight smile faded, and his pale red eyes took on a wistful touch.

"I can't remember any names, though. Hell, I can't even remember my own."

He murmured, eyes downcast to his hands resting in his lap.

I frowned, feeling somewhat sad for the strange new One Piece character that probably hadn't made it long in the original story

I gritted my teeth, trying to gather my courage- for what, not even I know yet- but before I could process that I had said something for the first time in _years_ , my tongue had already betrayed me.

"Ren,"

I stated quietly but with confidence, surprised when I realized that my voice remained smooth and chime-like, unaffected by disuse.

We both froze in shock and he slowly turned to look at me intently, eyes like dinner plates and mouth hinged open; disbelief colored his expression, and I stomped down on my urge to fidget under his gawking.

"What did you just say?"

His words were whispered, heavy with shock and almost hoarse.

 _No going back now._

"I called you Ren,"

I repeated, reaching over in a moment of bravado and clapping his shoulder.

His gaping jaw was an amusing reaction, bringing forth a strangely methodical laugh from deep in my chest as I withdrew my hand, and we both stared at each other as he tried to get over his shell shock.

"You… Spoke."

He gasped in the quieter moments when my laughter died down, and then it seemed he realized just what I said as I gazed at him, level and calm.

His pale red eyes softened.

"Ren,"

He said as if testing how the name felt.

This marked the first time I actually saw him give a genuine smile.

"I like it. But since you named me, now I get to name you. You won't tell me and I can't call you Stitchgrave forever; if that's actually your family name."

He said, tilting his head with an innocent smile

 _I'm getting… Named?_

I felt a small spike of interest, thinking back.

Beauregard was a racecar driver born and raised in a lazy rural desert town with dreams of being a Formula 1 racer, a deadbeat mom, a supportive dad, and an awesome older brother.

Maybe getting a fresh start would be a step in the right direction, something to hold on to in this hellhole.

"Victor is a good name for you, but I think I can find something better."

He hummed in thought as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"How about Soren?"

He looked at me expectantly, hand still on his neck in a show of nervousness.

"Soren Stitchgrave. I suppose it has a ring to it, ne?"

For the first time in perhaps decades, I let a manic grin stretch across my face, muscles twinging from the foreign expression.

"Soren it is, then."

He said slowly in astonishment, pride in his voice when I relaxed for the first time in a long time, sitting there next to my Nakama.

Neither of us spoke, and for once the shadows did not seem to close in on me.

The peaceful moment shattered when an explosion rocked the facility, both of us tensing and jerking upright as alarmed shouts echoed down the stone hallways.

I leaped to my feet in one smooth motion and Ren was quick to follow, standing beside me not a second after.

The roar of an explosion reached my ears, and I did not hesitate to lunge and tackle Ren to the ground while a devastating impact shook the labs.

I threw myself over Ren's prone figure, hissing in fear as the ceiling caved in and I felt the stone rain down painfully.

The small collapse lasted only a couple seconds until the den den mushi screamed their sirens, but the damage had been done.

"Hey! Are you alright?"

Ren yelled over the alarms as he sat up and picked me up with him, pale red eyes wide with shock as our gazes met.

My slightly hazed vision focused in on the sticky black ichor splattered over his form, I did not need to look to know that the cave-in had injured me badly.

I broke away from his gaze, looking at the pile of seastone rubble extending to the floor above us- a pathway out of the seastone cell.

Without a word I stood and brushed aside the familiar pain, and without preamble I grabbed him and yanked him towards the exit, holding Ren's hand in a death grip.

"There's a way out…!"

He breathed in realization while I dragged him behind me, and we slowly peeked above the collapsed 2nd floor.

Marines and doctors ran every which way in a panic, surrounded by monitors and all kinds of machinery.

Waiting patiently for the nearest opening in the crowd I dragged Ren with me, and we made a mad dash for the doorway.

My Nakama gave a yelp as we came to a sprint down a long hallway, unrecognized by the Marines in the chaos as another explosion shook the building.

"What was that?!"

Ren gasped, stumbling, but I yanked him back to his feet and didn't answer, focusing on towing him down another doorway, praying for an exit.

I froze as we entered a room full of… Things.

Subjects, vile and twisted and warped into hideous abominations, stripped of their humanity.

The floor was painted with their blood and other fluids, and they were all ripping each other apart in one giant massacre.

Somewhere in the back, I saw Magellan in his devil fruit form, mowing down any Subject bold enough to approach.

I was used to the violence and brutality, but my friend's face paled as we slowly backed away, the rancid stench of blood and various venoms following as Ren turned around, lurched forward and heaved up what little contents his stomach had.

I closed my eyes, silently gathering my courage and coming up with an escape plan.

I had been able to access my devil fruit for a while; but before, I had been limited by the seastone surrounding my cell, or the cuffs that the Marine dogs used to transport me.

This was my one chance of escape, and I'd be damned if I let it slip through my fingers without a fight.

With that thought, I instinctively reached for the energy I felt burning in my chest, unsubdued by seastone shackles.

Ren looked up, chest heaving as a wind whipped through the hallways, and my eyes snapped open as black and white energy swirled around me.

"Angel Angel… Soar!"

In a brilliant explosion of pure black and white, a massive pair of pearl-white angel wings exploded from my back in a shower of feathers.

Ren's eyes flew wide open in awe, his mouth hanging open as I gripped the weapon slowly forming in my hand out of solid shadow and light.

It was a giant scythe, the shaft was a pure black and the blade pure white, the sharpened edge glowing radiantly, I stared when the white blade reflected my maniacally grinning face.

My hip-length golden hair swayed gently around me, stirred by the false winds created by my devil fruit, and my skin was slightly paler than I remember in addition to my demonic black eyes, but my expression remained fixed in a dementedly cheerful expression throughout the split second it took for me to observe.

"You're devil fruit made you an angel?"

Ren gasped, bringing my attention back to him.

The deafening squabbles of the Subjects had given way to eerie silence, and alarm kicked me into action in the nick of time.

With a show of elevated grace and speed I dove forward just as a subject's jaws closed down in the space I occupied a heartbeat before.

Ren gave a yelp of fear and surprise as I grabbed him around the waist with my unoccupied arm and with a powerful thrust from my new appendages, we launched over the horde of other Subjects as they surged towards us.

Thoughts racing I banked left, ignoring Ren's screaming, and my eyes narrowed as a wall stared me down.

I had no time to turn back now.

With a battle cry of pure desperation, I hurled the ethereal scythe at the wall, watching as both the weapon and stone exploded outwards as I lunged out, and into the open sky.

The squinted my eyes shut as we began to glide, and my companion let out a yell of terror.

I cringed at the painful flood light, tucking my head down and closing my eyes as I was immediately blinded, and tears gathered in the corners of my eyes from the harsh glare of the sun.

"We're out!"

I yelled to Ren and cautiously looked out upon what could only be the sea surrounding Impel Down.

It was one thing seeing it in the anime and imagining the sprawling blue sea, but it was something else entirely seeing it, real and _solid_ , right within your grasp.

"It's… Beautiful,"

Ren breathed, and I felt rather than heard his breathless laughter.

I shook my head to clear it; this was real, and right now, I had to get out of here.

No more doubts… My dream had become reality.

I took a deep calming breath, and I launched forward with a beat of my wings, easily dodging the cannon fire from the surrounding marine ships.

It felt like I was placed into the ultimate slingshot and released, my entire body snapping forward at high speeds.

"Whoa!"

Ren screamed while I closed my eyes in bliss as the wind whipped my face, wings tucked until I felt a floating sensation.

My eye cracked open, and immediately both eyes flew wide open with shock.

I was probably a hundred feet above the Sea, and as a racer in my old life, I had a particular fondness of speed as the thrill of adrenaline ran through my veins, something I hadn't felt in so long.

 _This is_ _ **awesome**_ _!_

I inwardly cheered with a sprouting smile.

That is, until the buildings slowly started to come towards me, and a twinge of excitement flooded my senses, heightened by said adrenaline.

 _Oh, shit! We're falling!_

I let out a wordless scream that was simply swept away by the wind as it whipped through my hair, and without hesitation, I snapped my wings open and I pushed off.

In result we were again launched into the air towards the distant horizon, a wild grin splitting my face that could only, possibly, be trumped by Luffy.

 _Like a game of hop-scotch on steroids!_

I thought with elation, and I heard Ren's faint laugh above the wind as we dodged another onslaught of cannon balls.

He enjoyed this just as much as I did as we fled from Impel Down at breath-taking speeds.

"Soren, there's islands up north if you fly long enough!"

The endless blue waves blurred by, and the constant howling of wind in my ears was the only sound accompanying me after Ren shifted to get more comfortable in my arms, and slowly the hours began to slip by and fatigue set in.

"Soren, wake up!"

By the time I had registered his frantic calls, I realized that we were flying in… Snow?

I had nothing left, no energy and barely any warmth, and I was shuddering midair when my wings refused to work properly.

We descended far too swiftly towards what I realized was an island of snow and ice, and at the final moment, before we hit, I turned to shield Ren with my body.

I heard the impact and felt a sickening crunch before my mind shut down, and I sunk into a pure black oblivion where pain could not follow.


	4. Chapter 4 - To Save a Klutz

**Naruto Uzumaki Potter - I'm just developing the plot past introducing the OC, so hopefully, it gets rolling faster. This chapter should answer where Soren and Ren end up; beware of some major canon divergence in the upcoming chapters!**

 **~TIM**

 **Ztk016 - My friend, the only dairy used in this fanfiction was the cream that went in my brain fuel (AKA coffee)! Aside from a goofy interaction or two (Mostly to develop character since Soren's still a bit of a blank slate as far as personality), I'll try to keep it real and right in the FEELS.**

 **~TIM**

 **sarahgri99 - Thank you so very much! My writing style's a bit cringy because I have difficulties typing at the speed of my brain, but I'm glad you can look past the errors and enjoy the story! Cheers!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

I groaned softly, various aches igniting across my system while I slowly returned to the waking world.

Mustering what little energy I had left I opened my eyes, slowly curling my hands into fists, allowing my nails sinking into my palm; the bite somewhat distracted me from the sharp pain shooting through my chest with each ragged breath.

 _Ren…_

The worry for my companion pushed adrenaline through my veins, and I used the renewed energy to push my sluggish, injured body into a shaky kneel, unburying myself from the snow

Shivering harshly from the cold I cautiously opened my watery eyes, the absence of my companion serving as a sharp reminder that I needed to _move_.

I found myself in the center of a small crater created from the impact of my fall, the cold snow soaking the ragged hoodie clinging to my nearly skeletal frame.

I am surrounded by an unbroken sea of white with only a few weakly flickering lights in the distance, nearly blotted out by the shroud of the falling snow.

 _I'm alone..._

Swaying heavily under the sharp twinges of agony, I got to my feet, ignoring the raw grind of a broken bone that lanced up my left leg, I stumbled towards the only signs of life while the world seemed to warp in my vision.

Forcing back the rising panic I braced my more injured leg, turning a circle and searching the barren landscape again; however, my surroundings remained eerily silent and barren.

"Ren,"

I called out.

My only response was the silence, the dreaded silence that began to ring in my ears as though it swallowed my words whole and came back for more.

My breaths became short gasps and my vision darkened around the edges, hysteria creeping out from the locked vault deep in the back of my mind; in this oddly detached state of panic I blindly clawed at the edge of the crater.

Scrambling over the ridge of dirt and ice I stood as straight as my damaged body would allow, my heart pounding and the silence relentlessly _ringing._

"Ren!"

I screamed, my voice washed away by the sounds of a gentle wind blowing flurries of soft snow.

Shaking violently out of the cold and stress I pushed through the dunes of snow, desperately searching for any footprints or signs of life while limping aimlessly towards the civilization, oblivious to the thick trail of black blood that splattered the snow behind me.

A loud bang echoed distantly and my head jerked towards the sound, a maddened flare of desperate hope igniting in my chest.

Desperate hope that shattered when more gunfire echoed from across the next snow dune, instantly giving way to dread.

Fear and lingering adrenaline forced my injured leg into movement, and I scrambled madly through the white powder

With an inhuman growl of frustration- _it was so far away_ \- I spread my wings, ignoring the pain of various joints and bones clicking back into place and the rivulets of black blood that rolled off the feathers of my once-white wings.

Desperation to help my only Nakama drove me onwards.

I burst into the air in a flurry of blood-splattered feathers, cutting through the air in a dangerously unstable glide over the previously daunting snow dune, and my eyes widened.

A man- I saw only a smudge of black and pale red- was kneeling in the snow, surrounded by Marines with their guns up and ready.

He is defenseless.

He is going to die.

"Fire!"

A lead Marine commanded.

Red hazed my vision as terror and rage flared deep in my chest, and a luminescent black and white scythe materialized in my hands without conscious effort.

 _"NO!"_

I screamed, crash-landing between the Marines and the man, I let the scythe hit the ground and shatter with a small explosion of light that tossed the Marines away as if they were paper dolls.

Franticly I forced myself to my knees and struggled to get up, only for my broken leg to fail.

I collapsed with a cry of frustration.

 _If we don't escape now, we'll get caught. I can't go back! I won't let Ren go back!_

I pushed myself upright more cautiously once my rage dulled, gnashing my teeth together as I was forced to stand with my left leg held at an awkward angle.

"Who are you?"

I stiffened at the challenge from a foreign and wary voice, wings tensing in anticipation, I slowly turned my head to peer over my shoulder.

A familiar man that was decidedly _not_ Ren kneeled there, bleeding from a few bullet wounds, blond hair draping in his wary expression.

The tattoos and heart-themed getup, the coat of black feathers... Although it had been far too long for me to remember this man's name- not even the mantras about the plot of One Piece could cement all of the details in my head- I _knew_ this character.

"... My Nakama…"

I murmured, shifting my weight on my one good leg while my mutated blood worked to heal the numerous broken bones throughout my body.

"I need to find my Nakama."

The man shifted in the snow, and it was then that I saw him clutching something to his chest in a death grip, hiding it from view when he noticed my drifting eyes.

"Who are you?"

He repeated more harshly this time, a touch of steel in his eyes while he took up a defensive posture from his slouch on the ground.

"Are you with Doflamingo?"

I frowned heavily, faint images of a pink feather coat on a man with short blond hair and pointed red sunglasses flashing in my mind's eye, quickly followed by memories of a coliseum.

" _Never_."

I snarled lowly, pausing when the man climbed to his feet, swaying heavily.

Fighting my instinct to stay away- wasn't he one of the good characters? -I stepped forward and braced my good leg just enough to support his weight before he hit the snow, frowning at the blood that soaked his heart-printed shirt.

"That's good,"

The man muttered softly through his grimace of pain, his trembling fingers clenching on the sleeves of my hoodie.

His eyes snapped to my face in surprise when I gently coaxed him to lay back in the snow, widening in awe as I decisively covered his body with my black ichor-soaked left wing.

Only a few moments had passed before the color returned to his face and all traces of his previous pain dissipated, leaving the stunned man staring at my rapidly healing appendage.

By the time I removed my wing his shirt was covered with black blood, but the only remains of the bullet wounds were the tears in his shirt.

His dramatic expression was… Rather comical, really.

"WHA-! How?!"

He yelled, sitting up on his own and experimentally poking the unmarred skin, his expression one of bafflement, and I couldn't help a faintly amused snort that escaped my control.

"Devil powers."

I spoke flatly, childishly sticking my hands at the sides of my face and wiggling my fingers in the air.

The air of humor disappeared instantly when the man looked up, alarm spreading across his features when a distant yell echoed, followed by a chorus of shouts.

The Marines were closing in.

I bolted to my feet in a panic, biting back the gasp as I nearly re-broke my almost healed leg, and the man scrambled to his feet not a second later.

"I have to go now,"

The man spoke quickly, worry pinching his features.

"I have a life depending on me! Are you coming?"

I hesitated at his question, a sliver of doubt and grief creeping down my spine when I thought of Ren.

 _If the Marines find him before I do..._

Seeing my hesitation the man with the strange facial tattoos grabbed my shoulders, ignoring my abandoned flinch, his reddish-brown eyes stared straight into mine.

"I take it that you're not a fan of the Marines, and I can get that- but if your friend is out there, you won't have much chance of finding them without getting brought down yourself, especially after being injured like that, no matter how fast you heal. Find your friend later; for now, you must save yourself!"

Without knowing entirely why I find myself nodding numbly, unable to look away from his burning gaze until he turned and began bodily dragging me behind him.

Pushing my healed body to keep up with the man's sprint we blew past the unconscious Marines and through the thick, snowy dunes to a location far from the distant lights that I had been using as a guide.

Pain tugged at my very soul at the mere _thought_ of leaving Ren behind, and dark rage flared within me when I returned to the thought of the Marines capturing him.

 _I swear on my life,_

I vowed silently while the sight of a small but plot-significant brick wall steadily came closer.

 _I will find you, Ren, and no matter the cost I will set you free._

"Oi, you!"

I startled from out of my head and met the man's suddenly protective and demanding gaze, a heavy frown pulling on his expression.

"The life of my own friend is in my hands. I don't care who you are or what you've done for me, if you hurt him I'll tear your heart out- I swear it."

I stared at him long and sullen as we came to a stop in front of the wall, and I let an empty but genuine reminiscence of a smile cross my face.

"I would expect nothing less."

He side-eyed me for a moment in warning before pushing past me to the other side of the bricks.

"Law?"

The man uttered softly while I cautiously followed him out of curiosity, all senses alert for the pursuing Marines.

A bundle of blankets in the snow shifted and a small figure stirred, slowly sitting up with Corazon's gentle coaxing.

"Cora-san? You're back?"

I paused, moving nervously back into the next nearest crumbling structure while the man fussed over the boy like a mother hen, oblivious now to my presence.

I remember.

Corazon, Law, Minion Island… I remember now why the plot seems so significant to this place.

Face blank while my mental state became nervous chaos, I watched in silence while the man urged Law to his feet, bundling the child up snugly within the blankets.

"I have someone else with me, Law."

I snapped back to the present while the man sought my attention and I watched the boy instantly tense, distrust and slight hate flashing across his white-patched face.

"He helped me come back to you."

Well, if I had any kind of option for a plan to lie low in One Piece and avoid crossfire, that just went to hell in a handbasket.

Faced with the wary gaze of Corazon and the distrust of child Law, I took a step away from the parallel structure and kneeled to the kid's height, smiling as nicely as possible- which, based on their expressions, wasn't very good at all, but it was a work in progress.

I stuck out my hand in a good old-fashioned other-worldly greeting, remembering in a flash of near panic that family name was mentioned first.

"Hey. I'm Stitchgrave Soren… Like you, I am running from the Marines."

I said, my voice ever soft while Law judged me with narrowed eyes that flickered between meeting my gaze and staring at my wings before eventually landing on my outstretched hand.

Stiffly, the child extended a hand from the cocoon of his blankets to offer my hand a short squeeze, and he pulled his hand away immediately afterward.

"... Trafalgar Law,"

The kid offered gruffly, glancing at the heart-themed blond that hovered over his shoulders.

"Cora-san, why did you bring the weirdo back with you?"

He spoke with bluntness only a kid like Law could manage.

"Law! Watch what you say in front of others!"

I cut off the man's speech with a soft huff of amusement, reaching out and patting the child on the top of his fluffy black and white hat.

He batted my hand away with a scowl, but this time my smile came much more naturally.

"It's fine, Cora-san, was it?"

The man's shock subsided, and a wry smile crossed his face.

"That's what Law calls me. My name is Corazon."

I nodded decisively, getting to my feet and dusting off my well-worn hoodie while what little skill I had with Observation Haki pointed out a group of soldiers approaching from a distance.

"I think it's time that we went on our way; the Marines were getting close."

The blond man grimaced immediately, nodding shortly.

"We have to get off the island- both the Marines and Doflamingo are chasing us."

Realization crossed his expression, and I had only enough time to blink once before the man had his previously hidden hand in Law's face, shoving the contents into the boy's mouth.

"Here, Law; quickly, eat this!"

Law choked and struggled feebly, muffled by a face full of… Devil fruit? …

"It doesn't matter how bad it tastes, swallow all of it! It'll help save you!"

After a few moments, when Law swallowed the fruit whole and their antics came to an end, my stunned silence extended to the other two.

It was then that the child gagged unceremoniously, face twisted in dislike.

"I… I wasn't ready to become a Devil fruit user!"

Law hissed, arms shaking slightly as he stood to face the other man.

"Ugh! What the hell, Cora-san!"

The child kicked the man in the shin, causing the blond to topple with all the majesty of a felled tree.

Then he turned to me.

Something in my head snapped, my instincts screaming fight or flight when Law's aggressive body language registered, and it took every ounce of my will not to run or fight.

I brutally wrestled my reactions under control, stiffening as I let the child's foot contact my shin; which, I noted absently with a flare of worry, was weaker than it should be.

"Next time don't just stand there and watch someone choke to death!"

Law yelled angrily.

Some deranged part of me damaged by my long years of solitude giggled madly within my head.

Before I could keep up with my own movements I was curled up back in the corner of the room, a dark cloud of depression lines hovering over my head while mushrooms- _mushrooms!_ \- sprouted around me from out of _nowhere_ in the snow.

Because yes, god dammit, I preferred childishly growing mushrooms in a dark corner.

In comparison to screaming my throat raw when **_that voice_** wanted to take control? Mushrooms won hands-down.

I think that's a shitake growing by my foot, in case you were wondering.

"Eh… Law, I think you broke him."

I heard an annoyed huff.

"Come on Cora-san, Stitchgrave-san. The Marines probably aren't far behind."

Pouting when I was dragged away from my corner I fell into line at Corazon's left while the man carried Law.

While I trudged through the freezing white powder, I spread my Observation Haki as far as I could push it over the island, but there was no familiar flicker to be felt from Ren.

I tensed when my Haki alerted me of a presence behind us.

Allowing decades of brutal death-fights guide my muscle memory I turned with the deadly speed and grace, catching a fist precisely a hair's breadth away from coming in contact with Corazon's cheek.

The blond gasped in shock, tumbling backward, a small round canister fell from his pocket and into the snow.

"C-Cora-san!"

Law yelled in distress, scrambling to his feet to stand defensively in front of his guardian despite his waning strength.

This new guy- _A marine,_ I thought with an inhuman snarl- shifted to my left towards Law and Corazon, and I stopped him with an aggressive flare on my wings and stance, tightening my hold on his fist despite the fact that his attention wasn't focused on me.

"Corazon… I didn't expect to see you here."

The cloaked man with sunglasses finally spoke, and it took a few seconds to click, his fist still clenched in my hand

"Vergo…"


	5. Chapter 5 - The True Monster

**Author's Note: I'm sorry if this chapter turned out a little dark; I'll rewrite/edit the story as I go along, so I promise I'll smooth it out. I just got over a particularly nasty bout of writers' block, but your love and support via favorites, follows, and reviews has kept me going! Thank you!**

 **~TIM**

 **sarahgri99 - Law's one of my favorites, I hope you like his appearance! Let me know how well I write him!**

 **~TIM**

 **Naruto Uzumaki Potter - Yeah, Minion Island doesn't seem to be the most popular hotspot but hey; I figure I made a character that can age well enough to stay interesting during the events leading to the start of Luffy's adventure! Thank you so much for your reviews!**

 **~TIM**

 **ZTK016 - You tell it how it is; I like that! I'm glad you enjoy the story!**

 **~TIM**

 **AmbertheCat - Who knows; I might add a little romance, if that seems like something readers will enjoy. Let me know your input, I'm happy you like my story!**

 **~TIM**

 **sarge1130 - Thank you, thank you, thank you! This chapter turned out a bit dark and I'll be rewriting it as I go along, but I'm so glad you've liked it so far!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

The air seemed to ring with a brief pause of silence following my low snarled word, and, still locked in a stalemate with Vergo, it seems as though the Marine was the only one to hear what I said.

He cocked his head to the side, the charm tied to his glasses swaying in his face.

"Oh? And who might you be?"

Frozen still by an onslaught of memories- _Cora-san getting beaten within an inch of death, Law's trust being shattered by the destroyed message, Doflamingo standing over a dead body in the snow-_ I stood still and stoic when I saw the man tense to move.

Silently I allowed Vergo to overpower my arm, entirely ignoring the flare of pain and the sickening _crack_ of bone and tendon alike that resounded through the snowy landscape.

Slowly, fighting the memories of another life that stirred the tides of anger in my heart, I watched with a limp and motionless arm as the man stooped, snatching a locked canister out of the snow, staring at me out of caution and curiosity the entire way.

In another life this is a man that killed one of the good characters- _one of my friends-_ be it indirect or otherwise.

"I know you… You're one of the prisoners, aren't you?"

The following pause, this time, was more tense as my breath caught in my throat.

 _This man knows who I am._

We had only met physically for a few seconds and I hated him instantly.

I also hate the horrible smirk, and the glint on his glasses and the _smell of death_ that surrounds him when he read my tensed posture and only confirmed his theory.

All the while, he popped the lock off the canister like a cheap parlor trick and opened the paper inside.

"Trying to aid a criminal, then."

There was that nasty smirk again.

Unbidden, my foot shifted a little, settling me into a better fighting stance as he continued.

This will only lead to another fight.

"Doflamingo will not be pleased with-"

My eyes widened in shock as a brown-white-black streak blurred past me.

"That's Corazon's,"

Law cut the man off with an enraged yell, and in a knee-jerk reaction I lunged forward and made a grab for the kid.

"Leave that _alone!"_

The fingers on my good arm closed only a second too late from stopping Law when he launched himself at the Marine immediately after he finished yelling, but Vergo remained stoic at the approach of the furious child.

"Just try to stop me, runt. I'll beat you, _just like_ the escaped prisoner we found in the snow; I'll break you, _just like_ your criminal friend over there with the pathetic gall to block my attack. You will die!"

In horror, body pitched forward with the momentum of the failed grab, I could only watch when Vergo's hand raised to swat the sickly kid away like a pesky fly.

Somewhere at the front of my mind, I heard something snap when the words registered, and horror darkened my vision when the realization set in.

 _They found Ren._

"No! _LAW_!"

Corazon yelled, scrambling in the snow to recover his footing, but I was faster.

With a painful crackle of broken bones grinding together, my broken arm was aligned just well enough to swipe Law out of the way.

Tossing the kid into the blond's fumbling arms I crouched low and swept a leg out.

I was faster, and I was far more angry.

Vergo jumped over my extended limb, but with a push for my haki- _I will make you pay for hurting Ren!-_ an Armament-coated wing snapped out and struck him across the chest, forcing the Marine to stumble back, the ruined message tumbling back into the snow unnoticed.

"Haki- But how-?!"

 _That man should not be able to speak,_

A maniacal grin stretched across my face and I blurred into motion.

 _That man has hurt my Nakama._

Wings tucked close to my body I attacked before he could finish his shocked dialogue, good arm cocked back for a haki-coated punch that he just barely managed to block by crossing two black-reinforced arms.

The impact of my attack sent both of us barreling far away into the snow, but vicious satisfaction curled deep in my heart when strain furrowed his expression.

I saw his teeth grind and his body twist, and years of honed battle instincts kicked in; with a graceful spin, I dodged a series of devastating kicks.

"Just hold still and join your criminal friend, chained and caged like the monster you are!"

Vergo roared, and dark rage flared within me.

I caught his next kick just as my shoulder finished healing.

I easily ignored the pain as the ground cratered and cracked around my feet from the force of his blow.

I stopped restraining the expression of insanity that spread across my face, displaying my mental sickness for all the world to see.

I felt him trying to recoil in out of shock, but I locked my fingers around his ankle and _squeezed_ with all my strength until I felt his bones bow and snap under my hands.

"You hurt my Nakama,"

I hissed over his pained yell.

"My Nakama never wronged you! _He never did anything to hurt you!"_

Taking his broken ankle I yanked him up with raw strength and _heaved_ , hurling him into a crumbled wall in the middle distance with as much force as I could muster.

Wings expanding I launched into the air, terrifying laughter bubbling in my chest and leaving my throat in broken-sounding peals, my fist black with haki and prepared to strike.

" _You're the_ _ **true monster**_ _!"_

I roared, propelling myself into the cloud of dust left by his impact.

My fist landed in something that felt distinctly like a jaw, and a deafening shockwave rolled through the dust cloud with the force from the aerial punch.

Landing on my feet, chest heaving with the strength of my emotions while I let the dark rage and mania simmer away, I loomed over Vergo's dazed form.

My questions haven't been answered.

My face twisted into something scarily blank and impassive, I fisted Vergo's once white cloak and mercilessly jerked him halfway off the ground by brute force alone.

"Now,"

I hissed.

Quiet.

Deadly.

I am, after all, a killer.

"Tell me. Where you. Imprisoned~ My~ Nakama~"

Despite my best efforts my strangled, suspended words came out with a strange song-like pitch while Vergo struggled to bring himself back to full consciousness, and I saw blatant fear in his bruised visage.

Fear of me.

Fear of the sick monster.

Fear of what _they made me._

"I-I won't- tell you-!"

No time for refusal, I must be quick; if the Marines have Ren, there's no telling what they've done to him already.

I kicked his broken ankle, _hard_.

"Tell me now, or I show you just what one hundred years of refined torture techniques have taught me."

Cold sweat broke out across his brow.

 _Good, he's read my Impel Down file._

"T-the Marine ship,"

He groaned out.

"On the other s-side of the island."

I gave a bright grin, releasing my grip and letting him drop back to the ground.

"Good boy,"

I cheerfully patted his cheek.

"Now lie down and _stay_."

One last square punch and he was out like a light.

Out of spite I crushed the dumb sausage-like sunglasses charm with a haki-covered heel, frowning as the crushed remains revealed a small key; reaching down to pick it up, I grimaced at the instant lethargy from touching seastone.

I registered distant footsteps running my way and the concerned voices of Law and Corazon, and I turned my head to look at my impromptu companions.

The tall heart-themed blond was already standing off to the side with Law in his arms, two pairs of owl-like eyes staring as I straightened, my face carefully empty of any expression.

"The Marines have my Nakama,"

I reported dully, my voice quiet despite its heavy meaning as I dropped the seastone key into the pocket of my hoodie.

I shifted just the slightest and watched with something surprisingly sorrowful when I saw Corazon's minute flinch and Law's suddenly nervous gaze that went between me, my wings, and Vergo's unconscious body.

I turned away at the painful twinge at their uneasiness, displaying an incredible amount of trust by showing my back.

I faced the other side of the island, gazing up towards the soft dove-grey sky that released gentle flurries of snow.

They, also, were afraid of me.

"Thank you for allowing me to go with you this far, but I must free my Nakama. He faces a very dark fate if I do not reach him in time."

I bowed my head, my quiet sigh breaching the stunned silence.

"Farewell, Corazon, and you as well Law. Don't get caught."

"H-hey, wait-!"

Before Corazon could speak I took off, thoughts in a chaos as my only thought became _Ren._

The wind streaming through the feathers of my wings and tossing my matted dirt-brown hair did nothing to quell the whirlwind of emotions I grappled with.

 _Calm, breathe._

I reminded myself, grimacing while my eyes scanned for signs of the Marines.

Minion Island was rather small from up high, and scaling the few mountains was an easy task while my mind ran a mile a minute.

The snowy flight was peaceful.

It was the thoughts accompanying me that were disturbing.

If I had been even a split second too late, one of my favorite characters in One Piece would have most likely died.

That in itself was unsettling, but Vergo's words rang ominous in my head, repeating like a broken record.

 _"Just try to stop me, runt. I'll beat you, just like the escaped prisoner we found in the snow; I'll break you, just like your criminal friend over there with the pathetic gall to block my attack. You will die!"_

 **-jUsT liKe thE eSCapEd PrIsoNeR-**

I jolted in shock as the voice in my head interrupted my inner turmoil unbidden, mocking the damning words.

Taking _that voice_ and stuffing it back in the box, closed, locked, and chained.

I returned from the shock, recovering from the free-fall by going into a dive, attempting to loosen the muscles that tensed instinctually at _that voice's_ presence.

Mid-dive my eyes caught a speck in the distance.

I had found a ship docked in a small enclosed bay, the Marines symbol bold on their sail.

My eyes narrowed.

They were going down.

Letting the numbness consume me, I let the _killer_ in me take control.

Altering the direction of my dive with a tip of my wings I rammed full-speed into the deck, rocking the massive ship back and throwing many screaming Marines over the side.

From there, I let go.

The world faded into a vague impressions of laughs and screaming, blurred visions of red on white uniforms, all the while in a peaceful meditative-like state while I flowed through the one-sided fight with brutal efficiency.

I tore my way through my enemies with no mercy or remorse, and never paused before ripping the door to the brig off its hinges.

The steps leading into the bowels of the ship were eerily quiet, allowing me to sober quickly, returning to presence of mind; I descended into the darkness, ignoring the Marines' blood that dripped from my fingers and splattered my dirty skin and clothes.

There, lit only by the light that filtered through the cracks in the floorboards, my breath hitched at the scene.

Ren was lying in the corner of the seastone cage, eyes closed, unmoving.

His old scar had been reopened by brutal force; the once-healed tissue was ripped apart from left shoulder, to mid chest, to left hip; exposing muscle and bone…

Yet, just barely, I saw new blood still flowing out and his chest continued to rise and fall- if slightly feeble.

My Nakama was alive by a single thread that was fraying by the second.

Heart pounding in my ears, my surrounding blurred- I think I heard an anguished cry- as I lunged at the door, taking Vergo's key out of my pocket in and shoving it in, the lock opened with a groan of protest.

Throwing the door open I leaped inside, collapsing to my knees by Ren's side heedless of the lethargy the seastone caused.

My vision blurred, my knees soaked by his still-warm blood, I was so terrified- _Re_ _n is dying-_ that I barely registered the pain of my teeth tearing into my wrist.

I enveloped my Nakama in a desperate hug and let my blood flow over his wounds, praying that the ichor would heal him, fear rising with each weakening heartbeat.

There, I waited, blinking back tears while the guilt tore my thoughts to pieces as agonizingly slowly, Ren's breathing evened out.

I almost lost myself in the sound of his breath when I tensed at the shuffling of footsteps, moving to crouch on the balls of my feet in an aggressive fighting posture while I held on to Ren, an animalistic growl rising in my throat.

With a twitch of surprise I went silent and aborted the motion when Corazon emerged from the stairwell before me, hesitantly smiling.

He paused, eyes slowly widening as he saw my stricken face and exactly what state my Nakama was in, and all the while I came to a startling realization.

He and Law must have protected the ship while I was trying to heal Ren.

I could trust Corazon.

"He needs help,"

I rasped, my voice hoarse as I gently shifted Ren into my arms.

Corazon snapped out of a horrified few seconds of silence and moved to help immediately and without question, helping bear my Nakama's weight to maneuver him upstairs and into the captain's quarters.

When I emerged the bodies of the Marines were gone and Law was on deck swathed in heavier blankets, glaring up at the sail; his eyes widened and he scrambled to open the door for us, anxiously hovering when I laid Ren on the bed in the well-furnished room.

His wound was half-stitched together from the ichor from my healed wrist and it was just enough that he wasn't in critical danger, but before I could properly look, Law was shooing me out of the way with a harsh frown.

"I'm the son of a doctor, I'll help him; just give me room."

Numbly, I stared down the child ha glared openly into my freakish black eyes.

He was resolved.

He could help.

 _Calm, deep breaths._

Who was I to say no?

With a defeated bow of my head I retreated to the main deck, followed by the other quiet blond.

"Hey,"

Corazon called, giving a much more subdued smile when I turned his way.

"Law knows what he's doing. Your Nakama will be okay."

Perturbed by how much I trusted the two- how _much_ I had to trust them- I turned to fully face the man, carefully ready to smother all flickers of hope that ignited in my heart; but his expression was determined and wore a big, goofy, _trusting_ grin.

I nodded gravely, somewhat disgruntled by the trust of the man that _saw what I was capable of_ , and we went into a comfortable silence.

It wasn't until a while later when Law emerged that we spoke.

"Is he okay?"

I blurted anxiously, heart racing when the kid frowned deeper in response, nodding slowly.

"He'll be out for a few days, but he'll live."

The boy glanced at his guardian, and they shared a quick look before focusing once again on me.

"We... Want to make an alliance with you, at least until we can get out of reach of the marines,"

Law said, something like the ghost of a smirk passing over his sickly pale face.

"We still need a bigger boat to make it off the island. We would like to tag along, and we can all get out of here... If you'll have us, of course."

Blinking in astonishment, my eyes went to meet Corazon's, but the man only smiled back.

The sickly kid glared up at me for a few moments before his eyes dropped to the ice-laden deck, and smaller hands fisted in the blankets he wore like a cloak.

"Though I'm still not going to trust a weirdo like you, Stitchgrave-san."

The child muttered, frowning.

I was… Oddly touched.

"We set sail now before more Marines get here,"

I decided, the ghost of a smile touching my face.

I can move forward, now that my Nakama is okay.

"We'll white out the sails on the way."


	6. Chapter 6 - A Different Perspective

**NOTICE: There's a poll up on my profile that will greatly effect the future of the story; go check it out and vote if you please!**

 **Author's Note: I started writing the first chapter of this story five years ago and a few months ago I found it again, brushed off the dust, fixed the terrible grammar, and voila! I never, ever thought that anyone would ever read it other than me... Much less actually** _ **like**_ **it. All you readers are amazing and I hope I continue to bring you enjoyment! Mahalo nui loa!**

 **~TIM**

 **sarahgri99 - Awesome! Thank you for being such a loyal reader; your encouragement means a lot to me... Cheers!**

 **~TIM**

 **Animadow - It's a deal, my friend! Many more over-dramatized fights await you.**

 **~TIM**

 **Namikaze Uzumaki Potter - Out of the frying pan and into the fire, I say! Soren's gone a bit mad- an environment like Impel Down seems to have those tendencies- but there's only so much that someone can heal. Surrounded by good people though, there's a chance he'll get on the "good side" of insanity. Wherever he ends up, whatever pirate crew he leads is going to have to be pretty wild!**

 **~TIM**

 **Sehri - I am honored! Please continue to enjoy! ^~^**

 **~TIM**

 **Ztk016 - To be honest, I let this fic run a bit free. I have some idea where it'll end up and what will happen, but how it gets there is a mystery. Rest be assured that any crew Soren ends up with- canon or otherwise- will be in for quite a ride!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 **Law's P.o.V Third Person**

"How is he?"

Law frowned at the soft and distinctly chime-like voice, not looking up as he gently sponged the sweat away from Ren's feverish forehead with a damp rag.

The teenager had been getting steadily worse, the wounds angry red under the bandages despite his most attentive care.

The Marine ship, though well-stocked with first aid, did not have the supplies and antibiotics he needs to fully treat his new patient; in all honesty, he wasn't doing too well himself, and he needed time to figure out his Devil fruit and get the Amber Lead poisoning out of his system.

In his thoughts, the raven almost forgot the solemn presence that hovered over his shoulder, and he turned to glance up while he spoke.

"The wound has a bad infection setting in. We'll have to dock on the next island soon so I can get him the proper med-"

The moment Law registered what he was looking at he was instantly frozen with surprise, the words dying in his throat.

Soren's unkempt, filthy, too-skinny appearance didn't match up to the image standing in front of him now.

The long dirt-crusted tresses of hair had been washed clean and the previously hidden blond locks shone, looking like a river of soft golden silk flowing down to his hips.

the blond's freshly-bathed form, although still dangerously thin and boney, seemed far softer and more pale; his skin looked like porcelain that dramatically highlighted his eyes, deep pools of pure obsidian that reflected the lamp light to look like stars.

The teen had even changed from those filthy track shorts into black cargo pants tied at the scrawny waist by neon green sash, which Law noted matched the disgruntling pristine green-black hoodie

It was surprising to see the teen so clean- if now looking confused at his silence- but there was something missing.

And no, he didn't mean shoes; although the teen's feet were still bare.

"Stitchgrave-san, what happened to your wings?"

Soren blinked twice before realization dawned on his pale features and a small smile brightened the otherwise eerily impassive face.

"I hid them."

He watched in surprise as the teen reached into the collar of his hoodie and the click of a buckle was heard.

Law fell backward off his seat in shock as unearthly pearl-like wings burst into view in a shower of gossamer feathers.

"Sorry, Law!"

Soren blurted, hands hovering uselessly over him until Law sat up and smacked them away with a glare.

The teen seemed to take no mind and instead grinned sheepishly as the massive angel wings- which were clean pearlescent white and almost seemed to _glow_ \- tucked against his form through two previously unnoticeable slits in the back of the hoodie

"I don't have a lot of practice yet to keep that from happening, but I salvaged some cargo straps and figured I can at least hide them now. A little more training with the harness I made, and maybe I won't look like a monster!"

Soren chirped happily, momentarily stunning Law.

The damp rag, though the turn of events, finally slipped out from his loose fingers and landed on the floor with a pathetic _splat_ sound.

At a loss for words, he relied on the safest reaction he knew; annoyance.

"Quit being such a weirdo, it's just as stupid as you are! Of course you'd figure out how to hide your wings in a way that makes you explode!"

He snapped, kicking Soren's shin in a fashion much like their first meeting.

Law glowered at the teen curled in the far corner of the cabin, crying crocodile tears and growing mushrooms with his gloom.

' _maybe I won't look like a monster!'_

Soren's words whirled in Law's head.

The weirdo had sounded so _happy_ and _flippant_ calling himself something like that.

So Law glared at the teen that pretended to be cowed, because it was a good alternative to feeling sadness.

Pity just wasn't a good option in general.

 _Like he could ever hide his wings like that anyway._

At least, that's what he told himself as he continued tending to the grievously injured teen.

* * *

It was a beautiful day as far as it goes on the Grand Line, Law noted absently, glaring in open disgust at the bread roll he found in the cabinets of the galley.

The waters were calm, the sun was out, and the waves gently rocked the beastly Marine galleon that Soren single-handedly hijacked.

Law had seen the path of destruction the Angel had left in his wake, before Cora-san had cleaned up the bodies and found their acquaintance and his Nakama; he felt a grudging respect for the weirdo after having watched him fight Vergo and clean up the aftermath.

Let it be said, that the day was sunny, bright, peaceful… And far too quiet.

Ren was getting worse by the day, Soren and Cora-san were constantly busy keeping their vessel afloat with the lack of helping hands, and the Marine ship was running low on supplies due to the previous Marine crew; which lead to them eating the perishable supplies first.

He scowled at the innocent, unappetizing roll in his hands; he wasn't feeling so hungry any more, but he forced himself to grab an older-looking apple anyways before he emerged back on the upper deck.

Almost of their own accord his eyes drifted to Soren.

The teenager was sitting against the wall to the Captain's quarters, face buried in the knees that he drew up to his chest, massive gossamer wings encircling the blond like a tent.

Against Law's will, a pang of sympathy twisted harshly in his chest; in the few days since the weirdo's Nakama was brought inside that room, gravely injured and alive only by the skin of his teeth, he had stayed vigilant by Law's side or by the cabin door at any spare second he had, which wasn't much.

Last night while he and Cora-san were sleeping, they were hit by a spontaneous storm that raged on for a few hours; the ship would have capsized had Soren not reacted to the weather instantly.

While he had watched over Ren, too physically weak by the poison to be of any help around the ship much less under the disadvantage of a Devil fruit user, the Angel had stayed up far past the two-day mark guiding them through the rough weather and repairing the ship afterwards.

Soren and Cora-san were both hard at work until an hour ago when he yelled the Angel into submission to take a damn break for once.

Law grimaced in concern; through all the exhausting event and far afterwards, the skeleton-like teenager had barely looked winded, and instead of resting he decided to continue his vigilance over his Nakama.

He briefly entertained the thought that the casual composure about the physical strain and sleeplessness was Angel's insane regenerative abilities, but it didn't add up with how pale and skinny he was.

It didn't take him long to determine that Soren was used to far more taxing circumstances, and with the weirdo's current mental state, Law couldn't help but feel some concern for the bonehead that single-handedly beat up a galleon of Marines.

It concerned him that the weirdo completely disregarded his health.

Before he even registered that he had moved, Law was brought back to reality by the texture of soft, downy feathers swallowing his hand as he gently touched Soren's wing.

He immediately snatched his hand back when the teenager jerked upright to meet his eyes, and he scowled at the blond, fighting against the warmth that spread across his cheeks.

He thrust his hand with the bread roll in the blond's face.

"Here, eat this. I hate bread anyway."

He turned his gaze away with a scowl, losing his fight against the encroaching blush under Soren's surprised stare.

A frail-looking hand gently took the offering from him, and he ignored the weirdo's bright smile when he sat himself next to the teenager and took a bite of his apple, an excuse not to say anything.

"Thank you,"

Soren chimed softly, and the two ate in relative silence while Law built his courage.

"Ne, Stitchgrave-ya... How did yo-?"

He was interrupted mid-sentence, he and Soren both jumping when a loud BANG! resounded through a ship, followed by a low groan.

Cora-san, whom fell from the rigging while climbing down from the crow's nest, scrambled to his feet and ran towards them.

"Oi! I've been trying to get your attention for the last five minutes- I see an island!"

Law startled when Soren leapt to his feet with mild panic flashing across his expression.

"Where did we put the paint?!"

The angel yelped, dashing below deck.

The raven frowned, questioning their companion's mental health, before realization dawned on him.

"What was that about?"

Cora-san asked, looking at Law out of confusion, and with a snort the child pointed up.

Both of them craned their heads back to look up at the sail, which still proudly displayed a bold Marines symbol.

"... Oh."

* * *

"Quit looking so jumpy, idiot."

Law grumbled, frowning up at Ren as he lead the teenager by his hold on the weirdo's sleeve.

The aforementioned teenager pouted like a child with the lower half of his face that was visible.

"I can't help it, I know I look ridiculous and I can't even see!"

 _Well,_

The raven smirked slightly, facing forward to carefully ward off the threatening amusement.

 _I won't deny that._

Soren wore his harness under his hoodie, hiding his wings, but the... _Unique_ eyes were a bit more of a challenge.

The teen had outright refused to take off his hoodie and, as defining as the article of clothing was, that wouldn't do; their solution was to pull the hood over the upper half of his face and put an extra-large coat over him.

The only coat they had on the Marine ship that fit the criteria was an egg-yolk-orange pea coat that dwarfed the skinny teen.

The result was a terribly-proportioned large but short looking semi-menacing person with a strange color scheme.

As laughable as that was, the Angel wasn't the only one suffering from a ridiculous outfit.

Law left his hat with Cora-san on the ship and instead elected to cover the lower half of his face with Soren's neon green sash that he tied around his head like a mask.

Unfortunately, the only shirt that fit him left over from the previous crew was a dark violet button-up with a bumble bee stitched onto the back under the words 'Bee calm' in white lettering.

The weird get-up reached his knees and almost went past his shorts, which he didn't change, and he had to roll the sleeves up to his elbows to keep them from covering his hands.

Overall, in the small village they docked at, they were getting quite a few odd looks.

"We're almost at the clinic Stitchgrave-ya,"

He informed, ignoring how the sash was far too warm in this sunny weather.

 _Soren must be cooking alive._

He was yanked to a sudden stop without warning, almost toppling over when Soren quit walking, a vein throbbing in his temple.

"What are you doing?"

He snapped irritably.

"Shh, quiet..."

Law paused at the sudden seriousness, a frown tugging at his features, but he obediently clicked his mouth shut and listened.

He almost jolted when he heard a small cry, faint and farther away but out of place among the sounds of the peaceful village.

"Stitchgrave-ya, did you hear that?"

Not waiting for an answer, he immediately started guiding the teenager in the direction of the distressed voice, off the cobblestone pathway and into the surrounding trees.

No words passed between him and the Angel, but both their steps quickened when it came again, louder this time as they got closer.

Law pushed through the foliage into a smaller grassy clearing, and he froze while his brain processed the situation.

Two teens about a year or two older than him were standing over a downed figure, sneering.

It was just a patch of white fur that Law could see, but when a kick landed and the victim gave a pitiful _human_ cry, red misted his vision.

"Oi!"

He snarled, letting go of Soren's sleeve as he tensed in preparation to fight when their attention turned to him; one with a hat covering the upper part of his face and the other with faded red hair.

"Leave them alone!"

Law made to run to the group, but a low snarl and a flurry of movement had him stumbling forward and away from his companion.

For lack of a better word, Soren _exploded_.


	7. Chapter 7- United Hearts

**Notice: Thank you to those that voted! The Poll will remain up on my profile until the end of the month!**

 **~TIM**

 **sarahgri99 - I present to you, a relatively tame chapter with drama and fluff! It's going to get exciting soon, I promise you that; perhaps a split is in order, we shall see!**

 **~TIM**

 **Sehri - You got it! Soren is slowly banding together with the Heart Pirates. Thank you for he positive support!**

 **~TIM**

 **Animadow - You're the best! Not too much excitement in this chapter, but the future has a lot of promise. Good work en route!**

 **Edit:**

 **Valphrim - Apologies my friend, but I'm afraid this fic isn't for you. The poll is up with options that should suit your tastes better and would have impact with your vote; should you choose to revisit. If not, then farewell and thank you for reading this far!**

 **~TIM**

 **Sehri - My bad! I'm writing a few other stories and a sister fic for Stole the Show, I was thinking a bit too hard and added something extra... Oh well! I made a tiny edit to fix it for now- at least, until Soren eventually makes his way to Water 7!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

It was as if reality had been torn from my grasp, leaving me floundering as if the world rocked at my feet.

It was just a flare of Observational Haki to see who was there, but I really should've known better; the moment I raised my head enough to properly see past my hood, all grasp of logic left me.

I was no longer standing in the forested clearing while Law confronted his first crew members.

I wasn't watching Shachi and Penguin about to get sense smacked into their heads over bullying Bepo.

Slowly the natural background faded away, slowly overtaken by the stench of death, blood, and chemicals surrounding me; the walls and bars of the fighting pit loomed over my head in place of the bright green crown of trees.

I couldn't breathe, panic flooding my senses, vision darkening- I was _trapped in my own Hell._

' _Kid, you have to breathe!'_

Kirito called, voice low and urgent, drowned by the ringing in my ears because _oh God I escaped, what if my freedom was all just a hallucination-_

' _Kid, you're free. Listen to me, you have to snap out-!'_

My heart beat sluggishly and painfully against my chest, refusing to react to the flood of adrenaline as I saw myself.

Skeleton-thin, mangy, coated in blood and dirt alike- the sclera of my eyes were black but the irises were murky brown, darkened by madness- it was a time during my imprisonment before the serum had fully transformed me.

This Other Me was curled on the ground crying in pain, stained blond locks shortened with a ragged look as though it got in a fight with rusty hedge-clippers and lost.

' _You have to stop! Don't let the memories control you-"_

A humanoid shape towered over Other Me, skin covered in slimy substance, eyes toxic green, fingers deformed like the twisted claws of a raven- it was one of my tormentors, Subject 1276.

I was frozen, my heart slowing by the second, the pupils of my eyes would be dilated fully by now had I been normal.

Paralyzed by the intense _fear_ , I could only watch Subject 1276's claws descend and listen to the raw, ragged _screams_ as Other Me's flesh got torn open-

' _ **Beauregard!'**_

Kirito's far more desperate yell yanked me back to reality.

At the scream of my name- my _real_ name- I jerked harshly with an automatic snarl that ripped its way out of my chest.

Completely oblivious of the memory fading to the forest backdrop I heard an audible _snap_ when my restraints fell away.

I hardly paid attention when my wings burst free with a shower of pearl-white feathers, tearing up the back of the orange coat.

With a practiced coil and release of muscle I became a blur of movement, confusion and fear slowly giving way to some semblance of logic, curbing the instinct to deliver devastating attacks.

Enough of my sanity returned in just barely enough time that I was able to redirect my hands at the last second- extended to deliver a crushing blow to Penguin's chest- to instead plant firmly on the ground, bringing my leg out in a sweeping kick.

The two teenagers went down with a startled yelp, having been unable to keep up with my raw speed.

Since Law and I had entered the clearing only a handful of seconds had passed, yet it felt like an eternity; my heart was still beating far more slowly than normal as I towered over the awestruck wide-eyed duo and the shaking ball of white fur.

The emotion hit me with the force of a bullet train.

 _Oh, God, Kirito, what have I done?_

If my hands were shaking, no one noticed in the few heartbeats of dead silence.

' _Kid, you're back…'_

The Angel Angel Devil fruit sounded so relieved.

' _It's over. It was just a flashback, no one got hurt. No one died- in fact, you saved someone.'_

The man said softly, urging me to look at the one with the white fur.

 _Lock it away and deal with it later,_

I decided, harshly locking my emotions, which were still raw from the panic attack; I plastered on a stoic mask with a light smile as I crouched.

Law, stunned quiet by my sudden aggression, released a quiet breath and came up to my side, glaring fiercely at the two flabbergasted teens.

"Do that again and I'll kill you."

The sick kid snapped.

Suppressing the flinch at his words I gently plucked a nearby flower and crouched in front of young Bepo, keeping a light smile on my face when he stiffened.

"I think you're more likely to traumatize the poor thing than help it,"

Law grumbled, sounding almost concerned for the bear.

 _Well, that just wouldn't do._

Regardless, the kid's steel-grey eyes turned away from the duo on the ground that backed away slowly, staying wisely silent.

Instead, all his attention was focused on me and the victim.

"Oi,"

I murmured quietly.

At my voice the tiny bear released a high-pitched squeak of fear and he recoiled to see…

… A black, green, and orange-dressed angel crouched by his side, holding out a hand…?

The bear rubbed his teary eyes to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, but I didn't waver or disappear.

"Hello!"

My tone was gentle but also open and friendly, and that's when the bear realized that the hand extended to him actually held a dark red and yellow marigold, which I was exuberantly offering.

"Go ahead; it's for you."

He sniffled and slowly uncurled, eyes lowered for a moment in shame, but his watery dark eyes- frightened and bewildered but with a touch of awe- did not leave my face or wings as he slowly reached out and took the little flower.

"W-who are you?"

His voice quivered, sounding lost and afraid, but I instantly allowed my face to brighten and my eyes light up.

"That is a great question! My name's Soren. Y'know, like 'Sora' but more awesome?"

The bear couldn't seem to help but give a tiny smile and a slight blush of shame he attempted to wipe his tears away from his dirt-smudged face with his unoccupied paw.

I sent a short but dark glare at the stunned teens when I saw the bruises matting the bear's fur.

"There you go, no need to be afraid."

I carefully channeled my reassuring smile through my voice, taking a handkerchief tucked away in my borrowed coat to help wipe away the dirt, snot, and tears.

"That's much better. Well what do we have here! Aren't you a brave one?"

The bear's tentative smile strengthened.

"Stop speaking like that Stitchgrave-ya, you're embarrassing yourself."

Law informed, arms crossed, belying the small smile on his face.

Letting out a yelp of mock hurt I flailed my arms about dramatically before collapsing in a heap on the ground.

"Killjoy,"

I huffed as I pushed myself into a kneeling position, dusting off my coat, I couldn't help the triumphant smirk that crossed my face when the shocked bear burst into a fit of quiet giggles, and for effect I rolled my eyes at the clouds of dirt that I patted out of my clothes.

"So,"

Law chipped in as the bear's audible amusement trailed off, glistening dark eyes alight with curiosity.

"What's your name?"

The bear glanced nervously at the ground, shifting his paws together.

"I'm B-Bepo,"

He mumbled, turning pink as he clutched the marigold close to his chest.

"That's a good name."

I commented blithely, watching the bear's cheeks turned a shade darker, much to my amusement.

"I must ask you something important. Is that alright?"

Shyly, he looked back into my eyes and hesitantly nodded.

"Good. Will you be our Nakama, Bepo-san?"

The collective crowd's mouths hung open in shock, the bear visibly shaking himself before nodding vigorously.

Satisfied, I straightened out, offering my hand to the orphan.

"Great! We'll do our best to keep you safe. Will you trust me?"

He looked up at me with round, hopeful black eyes still red and puffy from earlier tears.

"Do you promise?"

He asked solemnly, holding his right hand to his fluffy chest

I mirrored the gesture.

"I promise, I'll protect you with my life."

Bepo tentatively reached up and took my proffered hand, yelping with surprise when he was lifted on to my shoulders, my wings brushing his back to keep him steady

"Law and I have Nakama that I think you might like. Do you want to meet them?"

I asked, glancing at Law's irritated face and Penguin and Shachi's shocked ones.

"Sorry! Y-yes,"

He stuttered once he recovered from the surprise.

"You two may as well join in,"

I spoke up when I looked at the other two future Heart Pirates, my voice much more neutral, assured that they understood the depth of the situation.

"We need to visit the clinic and market and we could use more hands."

"Y-yeah,"

Shachi stuttered, scrambling to his feet.

"We'll help!"

Penguin yelped, following suit.

"Oi, Stitchgrave-ya?"

I glanced curiously down at Law, whose eyes were shadowed my his hat.

Pressure responded in my shin, intended to hurt as Law put all the force he could muster into his kick.

"Don't just invite people into a family or crew so casually!"

The child yelled.

With company on my shoulders, I couldn't pout in the corner like usual.

Instead, crocodile tears streamed down my face in rivers, shocking everyone else but Law.

"Bepo, why is he so mean to me?!"

I wailed dramatically, turning back towards the town and running as slow as I could manage.

"I-I… Sorry?!"

The panicking bear squeaked in confusion while Law chased after me and Shachi and Penguin sprinted behind him.

Letting Observational Haki guide me through the trees, I couldn't help the genuine smile that split my expression.

The Demons I locked away were struggling within their bonds, but for now, I could be happy.

* * *

"Soren-san, do… Do you think they'll like me?"

I paused at the start on the plank leading to the ship, letting Law lead the grumbling grocery-laden duo on board.

In a hurry to cover up the Marine symbol, I realized that we only had blue paint to spare- so, logically, I covered up the seagull-like mark by drawing a giant blue cartoon cat face over the whole thing.

"Corazon is a big softie, you'll grow on him! My other Nakama's injured right now, but Law's healing him. When he wakes up, I'm sure he'll adore you too. If not, I'll eat my foot."

Smiling encouragingly I expertly balanced my way up a beam leading to the ship.

I took a moment to appreciate the baffled expression on Corazon's face when I let the orphaned Mink off my shoulders, gripping the bear's hand and letting the smaller one duck behind me.

"Bepo-san, this is Corazon. Corazon, this is my Nakama, Bepo."

I introduced shortly in a gentle but cheerful tone while the bear clung to my arm with a death grip.

"Oi, Bepo!"

Law interrupted Corazon's spluttering, walking towards us with the disgruntled duo in tow.

"Shachi and Penguin want to apologize to you."

I watched in amusement when Bepo's dark eyes went wide and owl-like.

One more glare from Law had Shachi and Penguin bowing to the little bear side-by-side.

"We're sorry we picked on you,"

They chorused, my smile widening when I did hear a faint albeit genuine note in their apology.

I moved to slip away, dangerously close to letting the demons consume my cheerful front.

I paused when Law snatched my unoccupied arm before I got out of reach, grey eyes burning with questions.

"How did you do that?"

He demanded as if trying to make sense of what he saw, voice low so that the flustered Bepo- still cutely clutching the marigold- the bowing duo, and the thoroughly confused feather-wearing blond could not hear.

I flapped my free hand dismissively in the air, my eyes shining with too-bright humor.

"Eh, it was nothing special. I simply seem to have charmed him using my sparkling personality!"

I chuckled, grinning innocently-far too forced- before retreating to Ren's cabin.

Law's jaw went slack, the only one to notice when I slipped away.

The moment the door closed behind me I sagged against the wood, throat constricting and eyes burning as I slid to the floor on weak knees.

' _Don't worry yourself too much. All turned out well in the end.'_

Kirito soothed, gruff voice- that sounded like Severus Snape from Harry Potter, now that I think about it- calm and controlled, if a little sympathetic.

"The flashback,"

I rasped, numbly climbing my feet to unsteadily make my way to the bedside.

I all but collapsed bonelessly in the chair by Ren's bed, ignoring the sharp _snap_ of a delicate bone breaking in my wing from the careless move.

If nothing the tiny spark of pain kept me grounded as I watched my Nakama's tensed, feverish face as he tried to sleep off the infection.

"That was… It was so _real_ ,"

I murmured.

It was too much of a risk for everyone to notice my absence if I went to the Holy Plane, but Kirito was calmly sending me waves of reassurance and empathy.

"I don't understand why it happened when it did,"

I murmured softly to both my oldest companions.

"It wasn't a fight that was anything like that. What if I didn't catch myself in time?"

Kirito shushed me quietly as we sat, listening to Ren's deep breathing, feeling out what I needed to.

When I felt like I had control back I got to my feet with a sigh, smiling out of gratitude.

"For being such a generic copy, you're actually not half bad."

I smirked at the responding growl in my head.

' _For being such an uncouth fool, I suppose you're not the worst person I've ever known…'_

I paused at the door, smiling slightly when I glanced at the bottles of medicine they purchased after their impromptu meeting of the future Heart Pirates.

"Hey, bastard…"

' _Yes, Brat?'_

"...Thanks."

I smiled at his grumblings when I left the cabin, stepping right back into a yelling match between Corazon, Law, Shachi, and Penguin while Bepo watched on with wide eyes.

 _Yeah, we're going to be okay._

* * *

"What are you two still doing here?"

I looked up from my unsuccessful fight with he ropes holding the sails- what was the technical name again?- a scowl still plastered on my face from glaring at the knots.

If only I could set fire to things with my eyes…

 _Well, I suppose that wouldn't help much, but it would sure be satisfying._

Shaking away my thoughts, I looked over the side of the ship, where Law was frowning down at Shachi and Penguin.

"Well… We've been thinking a lot,"

Shachi began, sheepish smile spreading across his face.

"We'd like to join your crew!"

Penguin piped up, eyes hopeful.

Ah, that's right… We'd be setting sail soon, word has it that Marines were coming near the island.

Law glared harder.

"Why would we invite you along?"

I smiled lightly, expanding my wings fully and releasing the ropes, gliding down to the docks.

It was always funny to see the awe in their eyes; the first day we met Shachi and Penguin, they had been beyond surprised when I took off the loud orange coat and took off the hood- I suppose I looked a lot less intimidating.

They left last night when Corazon helped set up a bunk for Bepo and for the rest of the night I stayed vigilant; unable to sleep without being plagued by nightmares of Impel Down, the one-sided fights in the early years pitted against Subject 1276.

It would be an understatement to say I was surprised that they showed up the next morning, offering to help around the ship.

With Law- and now Bepo, who learned that he was sick and offered assistance- struggled to learn his Devil fruit trying to heal the Amber Lead syndrome, Corazon and I gratefully accepted the help.

It was quite ridiculous, however, when they freaked out about Amber Lead being infectious after they saw Law's white-patched skin unhidden by my sash.

In the few days after that they were a fantastic help restocking and repairing the ship, although they still hadn't quite stopped staring at my wings.

"They're not bad company,"

I commented, gracefully touching down on the wood, I looked up where Corazon was trying to untangle himself from where his foot got snared in the rigging.

"Oi, blondie!"

I yelled up to him, smirking when he let go with a yelp, glaring at me upside down as he dangled.

"They want to join in! What do you think?!"

I shouted, watching his confusion grow.

"What?! I can't hear you!"

Corazon yelled back, flailing his limbs to try and get a grip on the elusive ropes.

"I think that's a yes."

Turning to them with a smile, their shoulders sag with relief.

Before they could get too comfortable, it took one stroke of my powerful wings and I grabbed their shirts when I took off, smirking at their startled screams while I gently let them back down on deck.

"Is everyone okay?"

Bepo's head popped out of the kitchen at the ruckus and Law crossed his arms with an irritated expression, his skin clear of the white patches and far more energetic and healthy than he had been.

"Yeah, it's just Stitchgrave-ya being weird again."

He grumbled, belying the amused half-quirk in his lip.

"What were you saying?"

Corazon called over, the blond finally having untangled himself and climbed down, red-brown eyes curious.

"These two are joining us,"

I announced cheerfully.

"Wha- Soren, you can't just-!"

"Anyways,"

I cut off his protest with a chipper grin.

"You got those maps, right?"

Flustered, the man just nodded dumbly.

"Perfect! Let's get to the next island; we're going to get ourselves a proper ship!"


	8. Chapter 8- Those Who Care

**Notice: I apologize for the absence everyone, there's a lot going on but I'm not dead yet! Another chapter for** _ **Until There's Nothing**_ **is also in the works.**

 **The poll has closed as well, which also brings me to a quick but important note; the poll (for those who didn't or couldn't vote) was regarding a possible pairing for Soren, whether it was a good idea or not, and some ideas on who it could be. I do my best to be non judgemental and imaginative, and as such both genders were included in the options. Thus being said, I am willing to accept all input, flames included if you dislike the voted pairing, but no matter what you will be answered with respect from one free-thinking writer to another. Warnings will be provided in the description once the story progresses- more than anything, I hope everyone continues to enjoy and I greatly appreciate anyone who's stuck around for this long. I'm grateful for all my readers!**

 **(P.S, I thought it was an idea worth bringing up- I promise there will be enough to satisfy, but rest be assured it won't dominate the story!)**

 **~TIM**

 **sarge1130- Thank you so much for the kind words and the input! I do agree that Law was badass when they met, and I was thinking for a long time on how Soren would react to this situation. Unfortunately (Some of you can probably tell) a couple parts like this scene in the latest chapter didn't seem to agree with me easily while I wrote it. I'll see if I can rework the chapter later and get Law more involved!**

 **~TIM**

 **FallenwaterTheFallen- I think this was one of the most encouraging and heartwarming reviews I've ever read, thank you so much! I'm so glad you've enjoyed Stole the Show so far, I hope I continue to keep you happy- and although things are looking a little scary for Ren and Soren, they've been through a lot together and they still have a lot to go through, things will start looking up soon. (Also, I think you can find polls posted on the profile of the user hosting them- if you use a laptop or computer active polls should be on the top of the page in small print, I believe)**

 **~TIM**

 **Blinded in a Bolthole- I agree these quotes could be the makings of an interesting psycho! However, Soren's a little different- I think that, as crazy as he is sometimes, he tries his best to act normal. We all know he says a lot of things in his head though, who knows what crazy things he's thought to himself!**

 **~TIM**

 **AbsoluteDeath1- I really appreciate the input, and I know it's not a light decision. Even if you no longer choose to read this story, I still take your opinion to heart and I'm absolutely adding a warning soon. However, there's a few reasons why I hadn't put up a warning yet or acted to alter the story. Because the poll was suited to all tastes, no pairings at all or a Soren/female pairing were also options, as I wanted an honest opinion if this might be a good idea or not. I wasn't going to put up warnings if it was undecided; I didn't need a warning if no pairing was chosen. It was an imperfect method, but I wanted others' opinions and you only get so many people that will read your story before it gets buried, you know? Also, implementing the idea is going to be a challenge I wanted to try, but I'm not just going to make the whole story revolve around it. I promise to at least keep a good plot and interesting story to the best of my ability, but every now and then a touch of something sweet to break up some of the heavy issues Soren has to deal with- at least, that's what I figure. If you're at all willing to keep giving it a try or wish to let me know what you think of this, I am always happy to listen. The description will be edited soon, thank you for letting me know your thoughts.**

 **~TIM**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

Deep breath in, hold for five seconds.

Breathe out evenly for seven seconds.

Wait for four seconds and then calmly repeat the cycle.

It's all about the rhythm.

My breaths started matching the slow lull and sway of the ship gliding over the calm seas; I could hear the soft waves lapping against the hull, feel the gentle breeze breaking against the sails, smell the salty brine of the ocean and the oddly ambiguous odor of what lived below it.

Against the back of my eyelids an unfocused image played, hazy at first, but as the minutes passed the image became clearer until I could focus in, blocking out everything outside of my head.

Through sheer determination, my steadfast control held the image in place.

I had a goal and I would be damned if I didn't train to reach it.

Slowly, the sounds of the waves faded into the peaceful rustle of leaves; the cool ocean breeze mellowed to become neutral, humid air; the pungent scent of the sea melted into the rich smell of mulch and growing earth.

Struggling to keep my breathing steady from immense effort alone, I gazed into the Holy Plane, triumph swelling in my chest.

I wasn't quite connecting with the separate dimension of my Devil fruit, but gently exercising my control of it.

I barely registered the small but serene smile that tugged at the corner of my mouth when I noticed the significant changes in the Holy Plane.

Although the air was still heavy with the smell of recycling earth, it was no longer dominated by the bitter smell of rot and decay.

The previous sunset was still absent from the starless night sky above the jungle landscape, but it wouldn't be that way forever.

I was on the path to recovery and with every step I took to heal myself, the Holy Plane was slowly healing too.

Slowly, amidst the struggle of very fragile control, I let out a content sigh and relaxed amidst the vision of a budding jungle canopy.

I was at peace.

"Oi! Shachi, I got one!"

…

… It took only a split second of lapsed concentration and the Holy Plane blurred around the edges, shying away from my ever-so-delicate control.

A scowl took the place of my previously relaxed smile from the amount of pure concentration I put forth to hold the vision.

I can still do this.

Every muscle in my body tensed as I tried to solidify my view of the other dimension, each individual feather bristling around the fringes of my wings.

Deep breath in, hold for five seconds.

Breathe out evenly for seven seconds.

Wait for four seconds…

I couldn't stifle a minute flinch when Shachi burst into a fit of loud laughter.

"Hahaha! Penguin, you call that a fish?!"

The image of the dark jungle darkened and blurred, stuttering like a heat wave with my next breath despite my efforts.

Fighting my _exasperation_ , I tried again to breathe and _keep control_ , swallowing reflexively against the intense strain.

"This is the first one I've seen in hours! I'd like to see you do better!"

A vein throbbed in my temple, my sight of the Holy Plane vanishing like wisps of mist against the darkness of my mind.

"Bite me!"

"Why, you-!"

The last traces of earthy smell vanished and I was once again fully aware of my ocean surroundings, serenity long gone.

"No need to fight about it, you two. I'm sure there's plenty of fish out there; as long as it's edible, I'll cook the biggest catch tonight. Sound good?"

I blinked my eyes open at the cheerful chorus of 'Yes, Corazon!' followed by good-natured but competitive banter, taking a few moments to stare into the smooth metal of my chosen seat until I was calm.

I deadpanned when a shadow fell over me from the tall- and hopelessly klutzy- fellow blond, turning to look over my shoulder and squinting against the sun's glare to see his face past his impressive shadow.

"Soren, what are you doing?"

I pouted, shifting in place on my precarious perch on the ship's massive front cannon.

"Well, I _was_ meditating,"

I muttered, not alluding to my Devil fruit training or why I had such mentally-strenuous goals; pondering his question, I turned the thought over in my head.

One week ago, while my nakama were sleeping, I had been in the Holy Plane training with Kirito to master the explosive scythe blade that I could summon with the energy from the Holy Plane.

He had pulled a dirty move and was reared for a sucker punch; I tried to summon any weapon for one split second, dreading the fist that steadily approached my face.

In that one split second of desperate floundering my concentration slipped; instead of the familiar dual energy of the scythe manifesting in my hands, the energy went… _Elsewhere._

Instead of wielding my seldom-used weapon, I grew a long, black, demonic, _blade-tipped tail_ that not only instinctively moved, but was fast and strong enough to deflect his attack and send the surprised Kirito crashing through the leaves.

When he found me again in a state of complete shock trying to yank the agitatedly-thrashing tail into submission, Kirito had just smirked at me and shook his head.

He sat me down and talked in his soothing baritone voice until the tail slowly faded from existence after hours of managing my frayed nerves.

 _-Flashback-_

" _Brat, do you seriously think you've gotten any grasp of my abilities? That's a good joke, but I want you to quit living in fantasy land; you're not even_ close _. You've spent the last century or so shackled or caged by sea prism and couldn't even_ manifest _your wings until after your little... Escapade. I refuse to be connected to an imbecile, so deflate that big airhead of yours and figure out how to improve, because your intuitive skills clearly died somewhere next to your humility. Besides, who told you that there's only one side to an Angel? I am a very diverse Devil fruit, I will have you know."_

 _-Present-_

Kirito had trained with me every night since, but his exercises in controlling the fruit abilities- as strenuous as they were- had yet to give me a demon tail again.

"If you say so,"

Corazon's response snapped me back into the present, followed by an exasperated huff and a kind smile- accompanied by the click of flint against steel.

I watched in pure fascination when, in less than a split second, the black feathers on his shoulder ignited like dry tinder soaked in kerosene.

 _Wow. For only a couple of feathers, the flames are… Actually… Somewhat impressive._

For a brief moment, I wondered if the blond's Devil fruit had secondary fire abilities.

"Aaah! Corazon-san's on fire again!"

Bepo screamed from the other side of the boat, woken up from his nap by the noise, tiny legs blurred to propel him across the deck.

Brought out of my wonderment with the Mink's distress, I got to my feet with a flare of my wings; opening the feathers as far as I could stretch, I brought them together with a single powerful beat.

The resulting gust of air extinguished the flames immediately; unfortunately, the gale was strong enough to push Corazon off-balance.

The taller blond went _splat_ on the deck with all the grace of a drunken land-lubber, and the ensuing silence over the deck was deafening for a long few moments.

I couldn't help the snort of amusement that broke the sudden quiet- although his cloak was put out his cigarette was somehow still burning, albeit a little crooked.

"Is he okay? Corazon-san, say something!"

Bepo fretted, all but tripping over the collapsed blond.

"Is he dead?"

Penguin called over worriedly, fishing pole forgotten in lieu of the calamity.

"He could be dead?!"

The Mink shrieked, black eyes widened in horror, too panicked to pay attention to the man struggling to lift his head from under the bear's suffocating hold.

"As if a fall like that could kill an idiot like him,"

Law grumbled hotly from his seat in the shade of the main mast.

"Besides, he's still breathing."

Shachi shifted closer, pointing his finger towards the sky in a show of drama.

"Actually,"

The redhead supplied with a wide grin,

"I've heard plenty of stories! Even just falling down a stairway can kill someone; it does happen, you know."

The redhead piped up, unaware of how much worse that made the situation as Bepo's jaw dropped in horror.

The poor bear was so terrified for Corazon that he didn't notice the blond moving until it was too late; the Mink went tumbling backwards with a small shriek of surprise while the man jolted upright with a gasp.

I doubled over laughing with abandonment, clutching my stomach while my wings ruffled with the force of my amusement, fanning out to keep my precarious footing on the front cannon.

It was a long moment before I could breathe again, unable to help the sunny D-shaped grin that overtook my usual stoic expression; that is, until I noticed that the deck was silent.

Penguin and Shachi were openly gawking at something just past me with twin dumbstruck expressions.

Puzzled, I looked to Corazon, but the blond was equally as enraptured and Bepo was still stunned from his tumble, big anime swirls dancing over his eyes.

Concerned, I glanced around me, but there was nothing but open ocean scenery.

"... What? Did the weather change again?"

My smile dimmed in confusion and concern, my gaze met Law's surprised steel-silver eyes from where the kid had jolted up from his seat.

"N-no,"

He stuttered uncharacteristically before he seemed to gather himself, glancing away pointedly and gesturing to a spot just behind my shoulder.

"Your wings- they changed."

Frowning in concern, I straightened up and brought a wingtip to my fingers in confusion.

I flinched out of pure surprise when a jet-black claw opened a gash in my unsuspecting palm; I released the appendage that jerked away in response.

' _I knew you could do it, brat.'_

In shock, I could only stare at the draconic wings with wicked razor-sharp talons that took the place of my previously pearl-white angel wings.

"Huh,"

I uttered slowly, dumbfounded, glancing between the crew and my… Appendages.

"... The Devil fruit's acting up again, sorry?"

I smiled sheepishly in the face of Law's intimidating deadpan.

* * *

That night I posted at my usual spot outside of Ren's cabin, my wings long since changed back to their more angelic appearance.

A strong but soothing salt-scented breeze gently tousled the long blond strands of my hair, flowing through the sails and pushing us to the next island.

The breeze also carried the rowdy shouts and exuberant yells from the galley, of Corazon arguing over their next destination with Penguin, of Shachi and Bepo doing their best to man the kitchen, and maybe one or two screams about fire.

I chuckled softly to myself, fingers fiddling in the pocket of my old black-green hoodie.

They caught around a very small, smooth rectangle that I pulled from the depths of my pocket.

The cracked, worn, ragged screen of my old phone displayed a fractured picture of my face illuminated by moonlight.

In an odd, pondering mood, I wondered briefly if it was some sort of ironic message- like I'm just a dead, broken shell of what I used to be.

 _'Morbid thoughts like those belong elsewhere,'_

Kirito intoned quietly in my head, his deep baritone voice comforting.

 _I've been through the worst of Impel Down and now I'm finally free. I think I've earned the freedom to have a few morbid thoughts._

I fired back just as dryly, earning a small chuckle from the Devil fruit.

Children's feet plodding quietly in my direction sobered us both, and I had enough presence of mind to tuck the dead phone away seconds before Law peered around curiously until he found me in my customary spot, hunched over and staring up at the moon.

"Why didn't you come to the galley for dinner?"

The kid questioned quietly, approaching slowly to settle on the wood next to me.

I turned to look at him, a small smile on my face, when I noticed the full plate of food he was offering in my direction.

"Law? Did you bring this for me?"

I asked in a quiet voice, a small spark if awe igniting in my chest.

The sleep-deprived kiddo only grumbled an unintelligible answer under his breath, turning his steel-grey eyes to the deck.

"What was that?"

I asked softly, gently reaching out to take the plate.

He immediately crossed his arms over his chest.

"You need to eat more, stupid,"

He sighed, his fierce gaze turning up to meet mine again.

I blinked, surprised.

"I've been taking care of myself just fine,"

I huffed, an amused half smile tugging my face into something genuinely friendly.

This time he rolled his eyes at me, but I noticed the genuine concern in the tightness of his customary scowl.

"The last time you ate was two days ago at Penguin and Shachi's island,"

He pointed out flatly.

"Before that was the bread I made you eat the day before, and I think that's the only time I've seen you do it. You're starving yourself,"

Law chided, gaining more steam as he continued to speak.

There was no way in hell I was going to tell him how long I lasted in Impel Down without food or water and the hell I endured because of it.

Instead, I pouted.

"I eat when I have the chance,"

I defended, still amused by pushing the kid's buttons.

He frowned at me with great exasperation.

"Soren-ya, I can count every rib through your hoodie,"

The young doctor pointed out stubbornly, and in surprise I looked down.

The breeze had plastered my hoodie against me, revealing every… Sunken… Feature…

Hmm.

I looked up, my amusement gone in the face of his worry, and I looked him in the eye.

"I'll eat more."

I promised.

He spent a long moment looking back, before he gave a satisfied nod.

"I'll hold you to it,"

He said with a smirk, climbing to his feet and going back to the galley.

I stared at the swordfish and potatoes he left in my hands, realizing how much my mouth was watering at the smell, and I figured he had a point.

"Thank you, Law… For caring."

* * *

" _Soren!_ "

A scream shattered the peace, startling the crew out of sleep and into awareness, as Shachi fell out of his hammock with a yelp.

I had been awake and training in the Holy Plane, but at the scream jerked me from the meditative state.

My heart started pounding in my ears while I jolted to my feet, quaking like I received an electric shock, eyes wide at the sudden emotional overload.

 _That voice…!_

Before any words could come forth another scream rent through the air, startling everyone into action, but I was already moving too quickly to think because _I know that scream_ and _the door is in my way and I need to get there NOW-!_

I nearly ripped the cabin door out of its frame, unmindful of the others that scrambled urgently to follow after me, wildly bursting into the confined space and freezing once I realized what I was looking at.

Ren was sitting upright in the bed, gasping for breath, his wide pale red eyes snapping towards my face.

I stumbled forward on suddenly numb legs, relief washing over me like cool water over raging flames.

"Ren,"

I rasped, but although his scarred chest still heaved with each slowly calming breath and tears pricked at the corner of his eyes, he gave a shaky smile that looked more like a grimace.

I neared his bedside, both of us ignorant to the crew that scrambled through the doorway, as we met in a hug with crushing force.

Tears spilled over his wobbly smile while his hands locked tightly around my shoulders, and although I didn't cry, I couldn't suppress the shaking that took over my entire body.

Contact scared the hell out of me, but I was overwhelmed with the _need_ to know that my companion was okay.

"We made it,"

He choked out.

My heart broke a little, but that's okay.

"We made it out…"

I have my nakama back.


End file.
